HEREDITY AND EUGENICS. 273 
father begot a bad son, a bad father a good son, a good father 
a good son, and a good father a bad son: and his reflection is 
put in his own witty way: “I see, Lord, from hence, that my 
father’s piety cannot be entailed: that is bad news for me. 
But I see also, that actual impiety is not always hereditary : 
that is good news for my son.” Delightful filial regard and 
personal modesty guide the choice of the old divine. But 
taking a general view it would seem that we shall be inclined 
towards one or other of the alternatives, firstly, according to our 
estimate of the balance of good and evil in the world: 
pessimists will welcome the fresh start, the clean slate; 
optimists will welcome the passing on of trained faculties, of 
good habits, of high emotions. And, secondly, according to our 
estimate of the significance and scope of individuality. If we 
endorse Newman’s view that religion is “a relation between 
God and my soul, my soul and God,” then we shall expect each 
individual to be a new appearance, with its own nature and 
responsibility ; but if we are more impressed with the thought of 
our common humanity, the social organism, the brotherhood, the 
kingdom of souls, we shall not have any objection to a widening 
of the scope of heredity if such should be suggested by enquiry. 
Of course few people are likely to occupy either of the 
above extremes, either to deny heredity or to make it so 
comprehensive as to crush out individuality. But I think that 
we must all of us look round with keen interest when we hear 
on every hand that the evidence is increasing, whether the 
effect is to be what we shall welcome or shall regret. With 
this preface let me endeavour to set before you some reflections 
on the present position of thought upon the subject. 
Heredity is defined by a leading biologist as ‘ Genetic 
continuity between succeeding generations” (Thomson 
Heredity, p. 68). Every one knows that there is some such 
continuity in nature: the determination of the more or the less 
of it is one of the most interesting of problems. 
I. In the sphere of physical life: the plant world, the animal 
world and human nature in their bodily organisms. 
In this respect the most important conception of recent 
modern science is that of the Germ-plasm and Germinal 
continuity, raised into the definiteness of a working theory 
by Weismann. Organisms are understood to be constituted 
