GENETICS AND ETHICS 477 



2. Control of Phenomena and of Self. — 

 Even the most extreme mechanists, who main- 

 tain that we are mere automata and that we 

 could never do otherwise than we do, admit the 

 possibility of a certain amount of control over 

 phenomena outside ourselves. They tell us 

 that the aim of science is not merely to under- 

 stand but also to control nature. But if man 

 may to a limited extent control physical, chem- 

 ical and biological processes in the world 

 around him, if he may control to a limited ex- 

 tent the behavior of a star-fish or dog or child, 

 on what ground is it possible to deny a similar 

 control of his own behavior? Does it not come 

 to this that all such control means intelligent 

 action, or rather the introduction of intelli- 

 gence as a factor in the chain of cause and 

 effect? Before the appearance of intelligence, 

 whether in ontogeny or in phylogeny, no such 

 control of phenomena or of self is possible, 

 but when intelligence becomes a factor in be- 

 havior a limited control of the world and of 

 the self is made possible. 



Of course man has no control over events 

 which have already happened. Our heredity 

 and early development are accomplished facts 



