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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1397 



riage and whose fertility would, tlierefore, 

 thus be diminished. Might we not, by con- 

 demning marriage in such cases, tend to breed 

 out the most valuable of all human attributes, 

 namely, the desire to do right? Again if in- 

 sanity were the family trouble in question, 

 this being one of the most grievous of all hu- 

 man ailments, we now know that it is some- 

 times the result of disease and probably in such 

 cases not heritable, whilst other types certain- 

 ly do run in families. What are we to do in 

 the face of such doubts and difficulties as 

 these? Are we to admit our incapacity to 

 meet the situation ? Certainly not, for the 

 history of scientific research clearly proves 

 that what to-day appears like an impenetrable 

 barrier to further progress will probably to- 

 morrow be regarded rather as a useful step- 

 ping stone for a further advance. Doubtless 

 we have difficulties ahead of us, which must 

 be faced with patience; but we should take 

 note of these obstacles in our path mainly as 

 emphasizing the need for societies where such 

 guiding rules for voluntary conduct in re- 

 lation to parenthood as are warranted by ex- 

 isting knowledge and by present needs will 

 be wisely and temperately discussed. 



A comparatively new subject like eugenics 

 is apt to arouse prejudices and to give oppor- 

 tunities for misapprehension ; and it sometimes 

 seems that what is now most needed on the part 

 of eugenical societies in regard to voluntary 

 actions is that they should make clear what 

 they are not recommending. We have been 

 accused of wishing to abolish love altogether 

 as a guide to conduct ; but this is false. What 

 we desire is rather to purify love, or to clear 

 away all those harmful influences which so 

 often attach themselves to it. Certain Amer- 

 ican investigations indicate that the ideals 

 which naturally dwell in the minds of young 

 people in regard to the qualities of the mates 

 to whom they would wish to be connected in 

 marriage are on the whole fairly sound, and 

 that these promptings if followed would gener- 

 ally lead to unions beneficial to the race. But 

 the desire for wealth, the wish to rise in the 

 social scale, and, some would add, too great 

 attention to personal appearances, often make 



the choice of a mate far worse than it would 

 have been if these natural ideals had been 

 given full sway. In passing I must, however, 

 put in a racial plea for good looks on the 

 ground that they are apt to be associated with 

 good health; a plea which I hope does not 

 spring from a mere masculine weakness on my 

 part. Be that as it may, love is doubtless to 

 a large extent aroused by advantageous moral 

 and mental qualities; and, in so far as that is ' 

 the case, it forms the firmest foundation on 

 which to base a eugenic policy. Much can be 

 done to help to lay this foundation by promot- 

 ing suitable opportunities for the meeting of 

 young men and maidens; by judiciously en- 

 couraging intercourse between our children 

 and worthy friends of the other sex, from 

 amongst whom worthy mates are not unlikely 

 to be selected ; by stimulating a pride of family 

 in so far as dependent on character and per- 

 formance; and, above all, by fostering the 

 growth of all that is noble in the ideals of the 

 adolescent. Ifever make a close friend of a 

 person one can not respect is, I believe, not 

 only a helpful rule of life, but also a useful 

 way of setting an example to the rising gener- 

 ation. But here a possible racial danger must 

 be noted; for an injudicious pursuit of the 

 policy here suggested might make the high- 

 minded become too particular and therefore 

 less likely to marry than their more ordinary 

 companions, with obvious dysgenic conse- 

 quences. Pure love between the sexes should 

 be proclaimed as the noblest thing on earth, 

 and the bearing and rearing of children as 

 amongst the highest of all human duties. 

 Some risks ought to be run in order to secure 

 these joys and to fulfil these duties; and Cupid 

 may well remain a little blind to all minor de- 

 fects. To promote these ways of regarding 

 sexual problems and to show how often the 

 moralist unknown to himself is in eiiect striv- 

 ing to better the racial qualities of future gen- 

 erations come well within the scope of our 

 endeavors. 



Though we have seen that as knowledge in- 

 creases so the difficulties of deciding on rules 

 of personal conduct will diminish, yet it is cer- 

 tain that these difficulties will ever remain very 



