Social Inheritance 27 



Weismann^s theory that every child is molded 

 solely by inherited tendencies that cannot be 

 essentially altered and that acquired traits are 

 not transmitted seems to make for a loss of per- 

 sonal responsibility and a pessimistic outlook. 

 Granting that this may be true on the strictly 

 biologic side, we have the possibility of a wide 

 and splendid social inheritance that may do 

 much to shape life 's currents and even compen- 

 sate for some of the defects of organic heritage. 



Some of our leading biologists seem to be 

 taking more hopeful views. Professor Don- 

 caster 1 observes that what is inherited is not 

 the character acquired but the innate power of 

 acquiring it. While the germ cell determines 

 whether and to what extent a change shall 

 take place, the environment supplies the 

 stimulus. 



Professor Conklin states that the experiences 

 and laccomplislmients of past generations are 

 not inherited through the germ cells but through 

 society. Then he makes the f ollomng trenchant 

 remark, — * ' Social heredity has outrun germinal 



t- Heredity — Cambridge University Press. 



