SOCIAL AND WORLD ASPECTS 243 



ditions may be represented by the present very sparse 

 population. In a country like Belgium, where in- 

 tensive agriculture and industry can be practised by 

 an intelligent people, the present dense population 

 may still represent the optimum. It is believed that 

 many parts of India and China are over-populated, 

 and the same was true of Ireland about i 585. Under 

 these conditions the people lose their standards of 

 living, and multiply up to the limits of subsistence. 

 Such a loss of standards may result from fear, 

 oppression, repeated plagues, or similar conditions. 



The author points out that the fecundity of all 

 animal species will tend to be regulated by natural 

 selection. " A limit is set to the development of 

 the strength of fecundit}" be3'ond a certain point by 

 the fact that it cannot be to the advantage of any 

 species that its fecundity should increase considerably 

 be3^ond the point which ensures the survival of the 

 species, as such an increase w^ould intensify the struggle 

 between the members of the species — this intensifica- 

 tion of the struggle not bringing any corresponding 

 advantages." Man inherited from his pre-human 

 ancestor a higher fecundit}^ than he needs. His 

 development of intellect enabled him to circumvent 

 or overcome the animals w^hich preyed on his ancestors. 

 In this way he lessened his own death-rate, but his in- 

 telligence enabled him at the same time to overcome 

 his high fecundity by infanticide and other means. 

 He thus escaped the disadvantages which would have 

 come from too high fecundity — a natural fecundity 

 w^hich would otherwise have ultimatelv been reduced 

 by selection. 



That a standard of living exists among primitive 

 peoples is shown by many features of primitive life — 

 for example, by the fact that the young men are 

 made to reach a certain standard of skill and attain- 

 ment before they can marry. In the Middle Ages 



