304 HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT 



written when it held this truth to be self evi- 

 dent, "that all men are created free and equal." 

 The equality of man has always been one of 

 the foxmdation stones of democracy. Upon 

 this belief in the natural equality of all men 

 were founded systems of theology, education 

 and government which hold the field to this 

 day. Upon the belief that men are made by 

 their environment and training rather than by 

 heredity are founded most of our social institu- 

 tions with their commands and prohibitions, 

 their rewards and punishments, their charities 

 and corrections, their care for the education 

 and environment of the individual and their 

 disregard of the inheritance of the race. Civi- 

 lization itself means only good environmental 

 conditions, and the advance of civilization 

 means only improvement of environment. 



2. On the other hand modern studies in 

 genetics are emphasizing the immense, the 

 overwhelming importance of heredity, in both 

 phylogeny and ontogeny. No one now takes 

 seriously the assertion that life can be experi- 

 mentally produced at the present time from 

 non-living matter. It is evident thaf the arti- 



