CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I.—INTRODUCTION

Our adaptation to environment less perfect than that of

the lower animals, 1-Is civilized society an organism now

in the stage of senility, and approaching dissolution? 4—

The present tendency toward sentimentalism, 5-The in-

adequacy of present methods for the arrest of weakness

and crime, 12-Our inability to deal with incorrigibles, 23

-The purpose of the book, 29.

II. THE DARK SIDE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE

Poverty, 30-Disease, 33-Crime, 34-Degeneracy, 42—

Imperative ideas, 43-Anxious dispositions, 47-Morbid

fears, 48-Morbid shyness, 51-Morbid blushing, 52-

Moral idiocy and imbecility, 55-Degenerate families, 65—

Epidemic delusions, 71-Periodic need of the purifying

influence of war, 73-This presentation of evils not a

hopeless wail, but an incentive to vigorous reaction, 74.

The inborn tendency toward evil, 75-Heredity and en-

vironment, 76-General nature of heredity, 77—Its influ-

ence in poverty, 83-In disease and degeneracy, 84-In

criminality, 97—Defective conduct and brain structure, 100

-Further evidence, 102-A land of born criminals, 112-

Heredity and illegitimacy, 114-Criminality among the

lower animals, 117-The wide diffusion of influence

through descent, 119-Our motley inheritance the funda-

mental cause of our wretchedness, 120.

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CHAPTER

IV. THE DEFECTIVE CLASSES

The idiot, 121-The imbecile, 129-The epileptic, 139-

The habitual drunkard, 147-The criminal, 158-The

philanthropist's disappointment, 182.

V. A REMEDY

The present system inefficient, 184-Nature's method, 185

—A change in human nature necessary and possible, 186—

The gradual elimination of weak and vicious strains, 188—

The essentials of the plan, 189-Moral responsibility, 195

-The case of the weak, 199—A consideration of death,

203-Our warrant for the taking of life, 210.

VI. A CONSIDERATION OF OBJECTIONS

The sanctity of life, 214—The natural right to live, 239—

The brutalizing of the general conscience, 243-The value

of life appearing lessened, murder might be encouraged,

244-The plan would affect only a portion of the cases

suitable, 246-The masses might offer insuperable opposi-

tion, 247—Difficulty in the selection of cases, 248—-Would

do away with a salutary discipline in virtue, 249-The plan

has had a partial trial, 250-Might give too much power

to State officials, 252.

VII. CONCLUSION

APPENDICES

INDEX

PAGE

121

184

214

254

. 261

263

HEREDITY AND HUMAN PROGRESS

MONG the many questions which, in this eager

A age, press for solution, there is none of deeper

interest to the thoughtful and philanthropic mind than that which pertains to the treatment of our "defectives" and criminals. If we view broadly the evil which these individuals engender, we find not only that it thwarts the best purposes of men but that it lies at the very root of all human misery. When we have conceived and put into application a wise solution of this problem, we shall have begun a true rejuvenation of the race.

It is a saddening fact that, although the most highly developed of all animals, we men appear to be the least in harmony with our environment, to fall farthest short of our possibilities. As we observe the inferior animals, we cannot but be impressed by