SOCIAL HEREDITY 295 



it remains in full view of the world. Civilization 

 is absolutely invincible once it realizes the secret 

 of its own unity. The main cause of those deep 

 dividing differences which separate peoples and 

 .nationalities and classes from each other and which 

 prevent or stultify collective effort in all its most 

 powerful forms lies exclusively hi the nature of 

 the social heredity which is imposed on the young. 

 In a generation they could all be swept away if 

 civilization put before itself the will to impose on 

 the young the ideal of subordination to the common 

 aims of organized humanity. 



The influence of a collective ideal imposed on the 

 mind of the young under conditions of emotion is 

 incalculable. It is the only cause capable of bring- 

 ing into action the deepest strength of which human 

 nature is capable. Every individual in the mass 

 is continuously driven by it to endeavour to lift 

 himself to the level of his inner ideal social self 

 exactly in the manner described by William James 

 in his Text Book of Psychology, 1 but driven now 

 towards a collective instead of towards an individual 



he was outlining to the Italian working classes the maxims under 

 which their progress towards emancipation in history must pro- 

 ceed. " Your task is to torm the universal family. . . . Humanity 

 is the living word of God. . . . Religions govern th n world . . . 

 Seek in Woman strength, inspiration, a redoubling of your moral 

 faculties. . . . Education, this is the great word which sums up 

 our whole doctrine" (On thf Duties of Man, vni., HI., n , I.). 

 Book of Psychology, chap. xii. 



