Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/14

 2 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOG\

to enlarge on the contrariety f ideals letwecn the beasts that prey ami those they prey upon, between those of the animals that k hard for their food and the sedentary parasites that cling to their bodies and suck their blood, and s<> forth. A large iiiunbcr of suffrages in fax or of maternal affection would be obtained, but most species of fish would repudiate it. while among the voices of birds would be heard the musical protest of the cuckoo. Though no agreem <\ be reached as to abso-

lute morality, the essentials of eugenics may be easily defined. All creatures would agree that it was better to be healthy than .orous than weak, well-fitted than ill-fitted for their part in life: in short, that it was better to be good rather than bad specimens of their kind, whatever that kind mi^ht be. So with men. There arc a vast numl>er of conflicting ideals, of alternative characters, of incompatible civilizations; but they are wanted to give fulness and interest to life. Society would l>e very dull if ever)' man resembled the highly estimable Marcus Aurelius or Adam Bede. The aim of eugenics is to represent each class or sect by its best specimens: that done, to leave them to work out their common ci\ ili/ation in their own way.

A considerable list of qualities can easily be compiled that ly even q>t "cranks" would take into account when

picking out the best specimens of his ch^. It would include health, energy, ability, manliness, and courteous disposition. Recollect that the natural differences between dogs are highly marked in all these respects, and that men are quite as variable by nature as other animals of like species. Special aptitudes would be assessed highly by those who possessed them, as the artistic faculties by artists, fearlessness of inquiry and veracity by scie: ous absorption by mystics, and so on. There

would be self-sacrificcrs, self-tormentors, and other exceptional idealists ; but the representatives. .1" these would be better members of a community than the body of their electors. They would have more of those qualities that are needed in a state more vigor, more ability, and more consistency of purpose. The community might l>c trusted t- refuse representatives of criminals, and of others \\hom it rates as undesirable.