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340 HEREDITY AND SELECTION IN SOCIOLOGY 



deplored. However, this is by tlie way, and we would merely 

 point out that the sociological criticisms of Herbert Spencer, of 

 Haycraft, of other far-seeing writers, were anticipated by 

 Nietzsche ; or, rather, to be exact, that they were re-echoed by 

 Nietzsche quite independently of their previous enunciation by 

 Spencer. Nietzsche writes : " Granted that this struggle (the 

 struggle for existence) takes place — and, as a matter of fact, we 

 do witness it — it unfortunately ends generally, not as Darwin's 

 school wish it to end, and as one might perhaps wish it with 

 them, but rather in a contrary manner — that is to say, unfavour- 

 ably for the strong, the privileged, the happy exceptions. The 

 race does not increase in perfection ; the weaker are always 

 victorious over the stronger, because the former have the greatest 

 numbers, and are more cunning." ^ 



To come now to some facts which support this view, we would 

 remark that the prolongation of life, which is generally regarded — 

 and rightly regarded — as a result of improved sanitary condi- 

 tions, by no means implies an increase in the biological value of 

 the race as a whole, or a strengthening of the constitution of the 

 race. Professor Lexis, whose authority on statistical questions 

 is well known, has divided the race into three categories, accord- 

 ing to the length of life possessed by each. The first category 

 is composed of those whose death occurs at or about seventy 

 years of age. The second is composed of the weaklings who die 

 shortly after birth, during the first year. The third category 

 includes those whose death may occur at any period between 

 the above-mentioned general limits, but which does occur, as 

 a matter of fact, chiefly between the ages of ten and sixty ; for 

 those children who die before attaining ten years may be classed 

 among the weaklings who are unfit to live. Of course, acci- 

 dental death is excluded. Obviously, in the natural course of 

 things, weaklings who are born of unhealthy parents will be 

 destroyed before attaining maturity. Measles, scarlet fever, 

 1 F. Nietzsche, Werke, viii. 128. Leipzig, 1895. 



