6o The Morality of Nature 



proper sense perceptions and reasoning powers, may all be 

 present in a bad heredity, which is bad only in a loss of one 

 particular instinct, for which a tiny group of brain cells is 

 responsible. This condition may seem to be an utterly 

 depraved heredity evil, yet the fact is that the correction of 

 that one deficient tiny group of cells, either by growth or 

 by surgical operation, or by reeducation, may be all that 

 is needed to perfect the individual. Millions of inherited 

 qualities in that individual are good, while only one was 

 bad, and that badness is not positive badness but merely 

 insufficiency of active goodness. 



Here is where the dual or sexual method of reproduc- 

 tion operates in a process of redistribution which actually 

 realizes the aspirations and hopes of the instincts for union. 

 In biological nature it is actually true that two characters 

 add their good qualities and deduct their bad in the total 

 of reproduction. The deficiency of each creature is nearly 

 always remedied wholly or in part by the equipment in that 

 regard of the other of the opposite sex which is naturally 

 selected by affinity and instinct, and evils are repaired in the 

 next generation if the deficiencies be simple; and if not 

 simple then they are reduced so that a few more generations 

 will eliminate them. For example an excessively timid 

 person will frequently ally with one of courage in the 

 instinct for protection, and the offspring will be more 

 normal. An error of greed or acquisitive instinct is likely to 

 seek and find a complement in an unusually generous nature. 

 A weak reasoning power will worship a strong one. And 

 usually some qualities of great worth will compensate the 

 union for any defect introduced. And so error is often 



