Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/306

 2QO THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

formulated by Dr. Schallmeyer in his excellent paper, " Infection als Morgen- gabe." 10

FROM SIR RICHARD TEMPLE:

NOTE I. STUDIES IN NATIONAL EUGENICS

Topic I. It seems to me that definitions of " gifted " and " capable " are required. Are the '' gifted " to be those who perform the initiative reasoning, out of which the practical results arise ? Are the " capable " to be those who bring into effect the reasoning of the " gifted " ? It has always seemed to me that the work accomplished in the world is due to both classes in an equal degree. Neither can be effective without the other. Both are equally important. The success of either demands mental powers of a very high order ; I am not at all sure that it is going too far to soy, of an equally high order. Then there are those who combine in themselves both the capacities, the initiative reasoning and the bringing into effect. Where are these to be placed ? Many who possess the one in an eminent degree also possess the other ; but, as reasoning and giving effect each requires so much thought and absorbs so much energy and time, the majority have not the opportunity to perform both. I suggest that, as regards family eugenics, both the " gifted " and the " capable " be, if the above definitions are to stand, taken as divisions of one class of mankind. This should be the safest method of bringing the inquiry to a practical result, because of the tendency, so strong in human beings, to look on their own description of work as that which is of the most importance to their kind. The great practical difficulty in the inquiry on the lines indicated, that impresses itself on me is that, especially among women owing to their place in the world's work qualities essential to usefulness are frequently present in individuals who are otherwise possessed of no spcially high mental qualities, and are therefore " unknown," and in no way remarkable ; such qualities as initiative, discretion, " common-sense," perseverance, patience, even temper, energy, courage, and so on, without which the " gifted " and " capable " are apt to be of no practical value to the world. I suggest that progress represents the sum of individual capacities, past and present, at any given period among any given population in any given environment. Then again, in the prosecution of eugenics by statistics of achievement there is another great difficulty, which may be best expressed in the words of the preacher in Ecclesiastes : " I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill : but time and chance happeneth to them all." Existing social conditions and prejudices, all the world over, will force eugenical philosophy to take root very slowly. This is, perhaps, as it should be, in view of the above practical reflection.

Topic II. It would appear that a beginning has been made, as regards men, in the Rhodes Scholarships.

NOTE II. RESTRICTIONS IN MARRIAGE

In one sense, eugenics is the oldest and most universal philosophy in the world, of which the convention called marriage is the outward and visible sign. Everywhere, among all peoples in all times, marriage was originated for the enforcement and maintenance of real or supposed eugenics. The object of the convention has been fundamentally always the same, the direct personal advantage in some tangible form of a group in its environment. All that can be done by individual philosophers is to give marriage a definite turn in a direction deemed beneficial, because human beings in a mass, in a matter affecting every individual, act upon instinct defining instinct as unconscious reasoning. In human affairs the outward and visible sign of instinct is custom. By reasoning, instinct can be given a definite direction, and hence a definite form can be given to a custom.

10 For my own opinions on this vide " Die neuern Forschungen zur Geschichte der menschlichen Familie," Zcitschrift fiir Socialwissenschaft, 1899 ; cf. my " Die Wachswuth der Feminismus und Rasse," ibid., 1904.