4 6 



Everythings that tends to constitute a 

 monopoly of natural forces comes into collision 

 with this supreme law of nature which has 

 given to all living beings the use and disposal 

 of the natural agents air and light, water 

 and land. 



Everything which is too much above or too 

 much below the human average, an average 

 which is raised with time, but which is of 

 absolute value for each historic period dies 

 out and disappears. 



The cretin, the man of genius, the pauper 

 and the millionaire, the dwarf and the giant, 

 are so many natural and social monstrosities, 

 and nature strikes them inexorably with 

 degeneracy or sterility, whether they be the 

 product of organic life or the effect of the 

 social organisation. 



It is also an inevitable destiny for all 

 families that possess any sort of monopoly 

 monopoly of power, wealth, or talent to see 

 their last offspring become mad or sterile or 

 commit suicide, and finally be extinguished. 

 Noble houses, dynasties of sovereigns, families 

 of artists or learned men, descendants of mil- 

 lionaires, all follow the common law which, 

 once again, confirms the inductions, in this 

 sense levelling, of science and socialism. 



like Nietzsche in our days, attempt to modernise aristo- 

 cratic individualism by views, sometimes deep and 

 original, but often also fantastic and foolish. 



It is this same law which Mr. Ritchie ignores (Dar- 

 winism and Politics, London, 1891) in his Section 4 

 "Does the doctrine of Heredity support aristocracy?" 

 and M. Boucher in his treatise Darwinism et Social- 

 isme, Paris, 1890. 



