THE MORALITY OF HAPPINESS. 315 



have to pass over many grades of life before we reach such imperfect 

 care for propagation of the race as we find among those orders of fish 

 in which the male keeps watch and ward over the eggs. Still higher 

 must we pass before we find any trace of affection for the young, and 

 higher yet before we see care given to feed and protect and keep the 

 young till they are able to provide for themselves. 



This brings us in fact very near to the human race, which, in its 

 lowest races, is distinguished from other animals chiefly by the length 

 of time during which it feeds, protects, and trains its young. In the 

 higher human races all these processes are conducted with greater care 

 and elaboration ; more varied wants are considered and attended to, 

 more elaborately varied means are used for the purpose. It is easily 

 seen how such conduct by aiding the development of the race aids the 

 development of the conduct itself by which that result is favored. 

 Among those members of a race in whom the proper race-propagating 

 conduct is not adequately shown, propagation proceeds less effectively 

 — which is the same as saying that, relatively, such conduct itself must 

 be diminishing. 



This conclusion is not inconsistent, as at first sight it might appear, 

 with the fact that mere numerical increase of propagation, though it 

 means increase in quantity of life, is not always or even generally a 

 proof of the growth of the race in what may be called race-vitality. 

 Here as elsewhere adaptation of means to ends has to be considered, 

 and that kind of conduct by which such adaptation is secured has the 

 best chances of development in the long run. Let us, for instance, 

 take an illustration from civilized life : An early marriage between two 

 persons, careless alike of present duties and future difficulties, seems at 

 first to tend directly to the increase of carelessness and thoughtless- 

 ness ; for from such a union there will probably come into existence 

 more than the average number of offspring, repeating in greater or 

 less degree the weak characters of their parents : the totality of life 

 characterized by undesirable qualities and conduct will thus be in- 

 creased, and increased in a greater ratio than the totality of prudent, 

 steady, and thoughtful life, Ly a well-considered union and well-judged 

 conduct thereafter. Yet in the long run the result proves usually 

 otherwise. (We consider only average results.) The larger number of 

 offspring of inferior qualities receive less care and inferior training ; so 

 that for them there is greater probability either of early death or of de- 

 fective adult life. The parents suffer also in the struggle thus brought 

 on them, for which they are ill-fitted. A diminished amount of life is 

 likely to result, and (taking the average of many cases) probably does 

 result ; while certainly there is diminished life-quality. Hence results 

 a correspondingly diminished amount and influence of the inferior 

 kind of conduct shown by thoughtlessness or carelessness about life's 

 duties. On the other hand, the well-judged and not too hasty union 

 of two care-taking persons, though it may add a smaller number of 



