Social Inheritance 25 



is a perfect example of unadulterated selfish- 

 ness. Conscience, that best trait of later life, 

 does not exist at the start. Altruistic traits 

 that really form the foundation of what is best 

 in modern civilization are not found at the 

 beginning of life but must be cultivated by in- 

 struction and example, — in other words, they 

 are socially acquired. The possibilities of 

 moral development may doubtless vary accord- 

 ing to innate inheritances which are influenced 

 by organic conditions, but the superstructure 

 must be acquired by the teaching and example 

 of others. 



The very construction and existence of society 

 depend upon numerous and diverse social inher- 

 itances. The functioning of government, the 

 accumulation of wealth, many artificial con- 

 ditions of environment that minister to the 

 higher life of the race, and numerous other fac- 

 tors that distinguish human life from mere 

 animal life proceed from social ideals that are 

 handed on from generation to generation. The 

 origin and continuance of the human family is 

 largely owing to the same influence. It is thus 

 evident that the evolution of the organic body 



