EDUCATION AND THE FUTURE OF THE RACE 315 



temperaments and individual reactions, to under- 

 stand, to develop, and to control this important side 

 of their nature. 



The objection will doubtless be raised that there 

 are grave risks attendant on the deliberate instruc- 

 tion of children in matters relating to the sexual side 

 of life, especially the risk of inviting the mind to 

 dwell on functions, both physical and psychical, 

 which should be permitted to unfold themselves 

 automatically and unconsciously. But this method 

 of laissez faire has been given a full trial, and its 

 results have been incalculably bad. There is no 

 gainsaying the fact that the human animal requires 

 education in respect to the racial instincts. What- 

 ever drawbacks there may be from rendering chil- 

 dren more thoughtful in regard to their personal 

 physical functions must be risked, for they are 

 incomparably small when contrasted with the risks 

 of leaving to chance the development of this side of 

 life. And it may be said with confidence that when 

 this education and guidance of the racial instinct is 

 intrusted to intelligent and sympathetic parents, the 

 results are almost uniformly good among children 

 free from degenerative stigmata. 



The beneficial results of a greatly improved system 

 of education which shall recognize the necessity of 

 the development of the racial as well as the self- 

 preservative instincts may be predicted to be of the 

 highest significance for the future. While the edu- 

 cation of the self-preservative instinct has to do 



