Are We a Declining Race ? 



ment of his noblest powers." (" Evolution and 

 Ethics.") 



In another work he wrote : 



" The amount and severity of the pain have 

 increased with every advance in the scale of 

 evolution. As suffering came into the world not 

 in consequence of a fall, but of a rise in the scale 

 of being, so every rise has brought more suffer- 

 ing." ("Twelve Articles of Scientific Faith..") 



If we were quite sure that this theory is correct, 

 there would not be much encouragement for us 

 to go on. Our efforts have been to improve the 

 world, and bring man still higher in the scale of 

 being ; but if every rise is to be accompanied by 

 increased suffering, it would be better for us to 

 cease our efforts. 



We must all deplore the fact that pain and 

 suffering are on the increase. Perhaps civilisa- 

 tion itself is not entirely to blame, but the 

 mistakes in life that have not yet been rectified 

 by civilisation. 



I believe that with a higher conception of life 

 than we have yet held, we shall find that pain and 

 suffering, instead of being unavoidable, may be 

 understood, and can be used as indicators to keep 

 us in a state of perfect health. This seems to be 

 their purpose. 



If we examine briefly the marriage systems of 

 the world, we find from the fragmentary histories 

 handed down to us, that each great nation rose 

 to pre-eminence under exemplary sexual restric- 

 tions. Also that each declined during periods of 

 licentiousness and abandonment. 



Let us take first the ancient Egyptians. Dr. 



36 



