LAWS CONTROLLING HUMAN SOCIAL HEREDITY 331 



instinct of altruism, is not always in harmony with 

 some of the strongest animal instincts. The impulses 

 for self-seeking were inherent in man before the 

 altruistic, and hence there is sure to be confusion and 

 conflict when the social organism demands anything 

 in contradiction to the animal organism. Indeed, 

 much of the confusion and turmoil that has arisen in 

 the history of mankind in connection with civilized 

 races has been due to the fact that this artificial struc- 

 ture which man has been building has been out of 

 harmony with some of the primary, innate impulses 

 of the individual nature. The innate impulses of man 

 lead him in one direction, toward self-seeking, while 

 civilization is trying to lead him in the contrary 

 direction, of placing the interests of others on a par 

 with or ahead of his own interests. The primary 

 instincts of mankind tell him to gratify his desires, 

 to yield to his passions whenever they demand or 

 occasion offers. Such is the nature of animals; 

 such are the fundamental instincts of mankind, as 

 can be clearly seen when we examine the conditions 

 of life either of low races of savages or of the low 

 classes of civilized people living in the slums of our 

 great cities. The customs and laws of society, how- 

 ever, developed by the influence of the ethical instinct 

 and intelligence combined, tell man that he must not 

 yield to his passions, but he must hold them in check ; 

 that he must not always seek for his self-interests, 

 but think of the interests of others. It is this con- 

 flict between the demands of the social organism and 

 the demands of the animal organism that lies at the 

 basis of a large part of the criminality found in civ- 

 ilized races. Society tells man that what it calls 

 duty should stand ahead of personal pleasure. While 



