224 BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN PROBLEMS 



such methods offends the sensitive mind, particularly 

 if unused to questions of this sort, but it quickly 

 grows obvious that, in the case of normally fruitful 

 couples, there are only two alternatives. The first 

 is a degree of sexual continence, which is for most 

 persons impracticable. The other is the risk of 

 having a larger family than reasonable prudence 

 makes desirable a family so large as to be an 

 excessive physical tax to the mother, an excessive 

 tax on the money resources of the father, and, 

 furthermore, so large as to stand in the way of the 

 best development of the individuality of the chil- 

 dren. One may well ask whether, in general, it is 

 not wiser to employ anticonceptual methods than 

 to bring into the world more children than can be 

 decently cared for. It is, of course, quite impossible 

 to set any arbitrary standard for the number of 

 children a couple may prudently attempt to rear, 

 since individual standards must vary widely. All 

 that can be said is that a conscientious effort should 

 be made to steer a course between the policy of a 

 family of only one or two (a policy commonly dic- 

 tated by excessive monetary prudence or erroneous 

 social aims) and the laissez-faire abandonment which 

 takes no heed of the morrow and ends in a regrettable 

 lowering of physical, psychical, and general cultural 

 standards. It is noticeable among cultivated per- 

 sons that they are willing to approve of large families 

 for other people, leaving little margin beyond decent 

 housing, clothing, and diet, and ordinary chances of 



