CHAPTER XXXVn 

 THE PROMISE OF RACE CULTURE* 



CALEB WILLIAMS SALEEBY 



The best is yet to he. 



In its form of what we have called negative eugenics, the practice 

 of our principle would assuredly reduce to an incalculable extent the 

 amount of human defect, mental and physical, which each generation 

 now exhibits. This alone, as has been said, would be far more than 

 sufficient to justify us. A world without hereditary disease of mind 

 and body would alone warrant the hint of Ruskin that posterity may 

 some day look back upon us with "incredulous disdain." Yet, assum- 

 ing that this could be accompHshed, as it will be accomplished, what 

 more is to be hoped for ? Must race-culture cease merely when it has 

 raised the average of the community by reducing to a minimum the 

 proportion of those who are thus grossly defective in mind or body ? 

 Such disease apart, are we to be content, must we be content, with 

 the present level of mediocrity in respect of intelligence and temper 

 and moral sentiment? Can we anticipate a London in which the 

 present ratio of musical comedy to great opera will be reversed, in 

 which the works of Mr. George Meredith will seU in hundreds of 

 thousands, whilst some of our popular noveUsts will have^o find other 

 means of earning a living? Can we make for a critical democracy 

 which no political party can fool, and which will choose its best to 

 govern it ? Yet more, can we undertake, now or hereafter, to provide 

 every generation with its own Shakespeare and Beethoven and 

 Tintoretto and Newton ? WTiat, in a word, is the promise of positive 

 eugenics ? It is to this aspect of the question that Mr. Gal ton has 

 mainly directed himself. Indeed he was led to formulate the princi- 

 ples and ideals of the new science by his study of hereditary genius 

 some four decades ago. Let us now attempt to answer some of these 

 questions. 



The production of genius. — And first as to the production of 

 genius. It is this, perhaps, that has been the main butt of the jesters 

 who pass for philosophers with some of us today. It may be said 



' From C. W. Saleeby, Parenthood mid Race Ctdture (copyright 1909). Used by 

 special permission of the publishers, MofJat, Yard, and Company. 



497 



