316 



The Final Goal 



difficulty we were able to show that growth or decrease 

 of population in man is controlled entirely by the labour 

 market. An increased death-rate will temporarily 

 affect the birth-rate and cause it to rise ; emigration 

 from a country has a similar effect. But there is no 

 tendency whatever for the growth of population to out- 

 run the means of subsistence, which was the dread 

 doctrine preached by Malthus and caused him to pro- 

 claim that only by means of war, pestilence, famine, 

 vice, and misery could the numbers of the species be 

 kept within due bounds. This we absolutely confuted ; 

 and it is fortunate for the race that this awful doctrine 

 has been destroyed, otherwise the only possible fate of 

 man was one of despair and devoid of hope or cheer. 



The destruction of these false doctrines was necessary 

 if man were to retain any prospect of a brighter future. 

 One other dread doctrine remained, and that was the 

 " dead hand " of heredity. It was proved that by 

 means of continuity of the germ plasm man inherited 

 the characteristics peculiar to his own genus, with 

 occasional physical features — such as shape of nose, 

 colour of eye or hair — which might resemble those of 

 one parent or grandparent. But the fact remained that 

 the essential man, his mental and moral qualities, even 

 his physical powers, depended largely upon his environ- 

 ment. " Sports " of genius or remarkable intellectual 

 gifts do occur from time to time, but are not the result 

 of heredity, and the descendants of such extraordinary 

 individuals return at once to the average under the 

 potent influence of marriage. It was demonstrated 

 that poor physique, undeveloped mentality, and a low 

 morality could all be eliminated, and the higher 

 faculties physically, intellectually, and spiritually 

 stimulated and developed by a good, sound and suitable 

 environment. Therefore it is the duty of the State in 

 every regard to grant to each individual, and especially 



