THE PAGAN ETHIC 75 



tion of the individual efficient in the fight for his own 

 interests. For Galton did not propose to be troubled 

 with any of the difficulties to which codes of ethics 

 had given rise in the past of the world. He had 

 as short a way with moral standards as the Kriegs- 

 brauch im Landkriege. In the scientific breeding of 

 the race morals, Galton said, would not be con- 

 sidered. He simply proposed to leave moral standards 

 out of account altogether as involving, to use his 

 own words, " too many hopeless difficulties." 



This in all its gaunt simplicity wasGalton's proposal. 

 Its object, it will be observed, was the " scientific 

 breeding " of humanity. Its method was by " the 

 improvement of the inborn qualities " of the race. 

 Almost the first question which comes naturally to 

 the mind to ask on being confronted with a scheme 

 so far-reaching as one for the improved breeding of 

 civilized humanity is : What were Galton's qualifica- 

 tions in putting forward a proposal which went to 

 the roots of every ideal involved in civilization ? 



As the result of his earlier observations and 

 researches Galton had been one of the leading 

 upholders previously of that doctrine recently so 

 mercilessly dealt with in the history of the world 

 and now generally discredited, to the effect that the 

 difference between the higher races of civilization 

 and the less developed races of men was one of 



