THE NATURAL 



drags them back to the general type of the specie. In- 

 dividuals of a specie frankly polygamous should present 

 a very great similarity; if the species incline toward a 

 certain monogamy, the dissemblances become more 

 numerous. It is not an illusion which makes us recognize 

 in human races almost monogamous, a lesser uniformity 

 of type than in polygamous societies or those given over 

 to promiscuity, or among animal species. The example 

 of the dog seems the worst that one could have chosen. 

 It isn't, it is the best, considering that in receiving suc- 

 cessively individuals of different variety, the bitch tends 

 to produce individuals not of a specialized breed, but on 

 the contrary of a type where several breeds will be 

 mixed, individuals which in crossing and recrossing in 

 their turn, will end, if the dogs live in a free state, in 

 forming one single specie. Sexual liberty tends to estab- 

 lish uniformity of type; monogamy strives against this 

 tendency and maintains diversity. 1 Another consequence 

 of this manner of seeing is that one must consider mo- 

 nogamy as favourable to intellectual development, intelli- 

 gence being a differentiation which accomplishes itself 

 more often, in proportion as there are individuals and 

 groups who differ physically. Physical uniformity en- 

 genders uniformity of sensibility, thence of intelligence; 

 this does not need to be explained; now intelligences 

 count, and mark only their differences; uniform, they are 

 as if they were not; impotent to hook themselves one onto 

 the other, to react against each other, lacking asper- 



1 That is to say in the eye of some imaginary divinity who 

 might be supposed to regard humanity, or even the slower 

 mammals from a timeless or say five century altitude. Trans- 

 lator's note. 



142 



