CHAPTER IX 



HEREDITY AND POLITICS 



A DISTINGUISHED bishop and penetrating scholar of the 

 last generation, to whom one of us was presented for 

 the first time many years ago, opened the conversation 

 by saying : " What is your opinion of the theory of 

 politics ? " At that time we had no answer ready ; and, 

 in spite of all the attention paid to political questions, 

 it is clear that most men, especially those engaged in 

 active political life, have still no idea that a general 

 theory of politics is necessary or even possible. 



What is the ultimate aim of government, administra- 

 tive and legislative ? Is there indeed any ultimate aim, 

 when we pierce beneath the shallow puerilities of such 

 modern phrases as " that the will of the people should 

 prevail " ? " What's for their good, not what pleases 

 them, that's the question," was Cromwell's statement 

 of the problem ; and, in their characteristic frank 

 brutality, his words have a truer ring than most of the 

 question-begging phrases with which politicians pay 

 their way at the present day. 



But even if we accept " what's for their good " as a 

 step in advance, we have still to inquire into the 

 meaning of good. If by good we mean the comfort 



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