William E. (William Erskine) Kellicott - The Social Direction of Evolution

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THE SOCIAL DIRECTION
OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

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THE SOCIAL DIRECTION
OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

AN OUTLINE OF THE SCIENCE OF
EUGENICS

BY
WILLIAM E. KELLICOTT

PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, GOUCHER COLLEGE

Publisher Icon

NEW YORK AND LONDON
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1919

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Copyright, 1911, by
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
Printed in the United States of America

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PREFACE

This small volume is based upon three lectures on Eugenics delivered at Oberlin College in April, 1910. In preparing them for publication many extensions and a few additions have been made in order to present the subject more adequately and to include some very recent results of eugenic investigation.

Few subjects have come into deserved prominence more rapidly than has Eugenics. Biologists, social workers, thoughtful students and observers of human life everywhere, have felt the growing necessity for some kind of action leading to what are now recognized as eugenic ends. Hitherto the lack of guiding principles has left us in the dark as to where to take hold and what methods to pursue. To-day, however, progress in the human phases of biological science clearly gives us clews regarding modes of attack upon many of the fundamental problems of human life and social improvement and progress, and suggests concrete methods of work.

The present essay does not represent an original contribution to the subject of Eugenics. It is not a complete statement of the facts and foundations of Eugenics in any particular. It is rather an attempt to state briefly and suggestively, in simple, matter-of-fact terms the present status of this science. While Eugenics is a social topic in practice, in its fundamentals, in its theory, it is biological. It is therefore necessary that the subject be approached primarily from the biological point of view and with some familiarity with biological methods and results. The control of human evolutionphysical, mental, moralis a serious subject of supremest importance and gravest consequents. It must be considered without excitementthoughtfully, not emotionally.

It is hardly necessary to add that no one can speak of the subject of Eugenics without feeling the immensity of his debt to Sir Francis Galton and to Professor Karl Pearson. From the writings of these pioneers I have drawn heavily in this essay. The recent summary of the Whethams, and Davenport's valuable essay on Eugenics have also served as the sources of quotation.

W. E. K.

Baltimore, Md., November, 1910.

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CONTENTS

PAGE
.	The Sources and Aims of the Science Of Eugenics
.	The Biological Foundations of Eugenics
.	Human Heredity and the Eugenic Program

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG.	PAGE
1.Increase of population in the United States and the principal countries of Europe from 1800 to 1900
2.Relative and absolute numbers of prisoners in the United States from 1850 to 1904
3.Recorded measurements of the stature of 1052 mothers
4.Model to illustrate the law of probability or "chance"
5.Plinth to illustrate the difference between variability (fluctuation) and variation (mutation)
6.Curves illustrating the relation between the pure line and the species or other large group
7.Diagram showing the course of color heredity in the Andalusian fowl
8.Diagram showing the course of color heredity in the guinea-pig
9.Diagram illustrating the relation of the germ cells in a simple case of Mendelian heredity
10.Diagram illustrating the phenomenon of regression
11.Diagrams showing the relation between order of birth and incidence of pathological defect
12.Coefficients of heredity of physical and psychical characters in school children
13.Family history showing brachydactylism. Farabee's data
14.Family history showing polydactylism
15.Mother and daughters showing "split hand" Facing
16.Two family histories showing "split foot" Facing
17.Family history showing congenital cataract
18.Family history showing a form of night blindness
19.Family history showing a form of night blindness
20.Family history showing Huntington's chorea
21.Family history showing deaf-mutism
22.Family history showing feeble-mindedness
23.Family history showing angio-neurotic dema
24.Family history showing tuberculosis
25.Family history showing infertility
26.Family history showing ability
27.Family history showing ability
28.History of three markedly able families
29.History of Die Familie Zero

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I
THE SOURCES AND AIMS OF THE
SCIENCE OF EUGENICS

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I

THE SOURCES AND AIMS OF THE SCIENCE OF EUGENICS

"Bravas to all impulses sending sane children to the next age!"

Eugenics has been defined as "the science of being well born." In the words of Sir Francis Galton, who may fairly be claimed as the founder of this newest of sciences, "Eugenics is the study of the agencies under social control, that may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations, either physically or mentally."

The idea of definitely undertaking to improve the innate characteristics of the human race has been expressed repeatedly through centuriesfancifully, seriously, hopefully, and now scientifically. Since the times of Theognis and of Plato the student of animate Nature has been aware of the possibility of the degradation or of the elevation of the human race-characters. The conditions under which life exists gradually change: the customs and ideals of societies change rapidly. Times inevitably come when, if we are to maintain or to advance our racial position, we find it necessary to change in an adaptive way our attitude toward these changing social relations and conditions of life. If we neglect to do this we go down in the racial struggle, as history so clearly and so repeatedly warns us.

In the opinion of many biologists and sociologists such a time has now arrived. The suspension of many forms of natural selection in human society, the currency of the "rabbit theory" of racial prosperitybased upon the idea of mere numerical increase of the population, the complacent disregard of the increase of the pauper, insane, and criminal elements of our population, the dearth of individuals of high abilityeven of competent workmen, all are resulting in evil and will result disastrously unless deliberately controlled. It is hoped that this control, though at first conscious, "artificial," may later become fixed as an element of social custom and conscience and thus operate automatically and the more effectively. The result will be not only the restoration of our race to its original vigor, mental and physical, but further the carrying on of the race to a surpassing vigor and supremacy.

The aim of Eugenics is the production of a more healthy, more vigorous, more able humanity. Again in the words of Galton "The aim of Eugenics is to represent each class ... by its best specimens; that done to leave them to work out their common civilization in their own way.... To bring as many influences as can be reasonably employed to cause the useful classes in the community to contribute more than their present proportion to the next generation"; and further, we might add, to cause the useless, vicious classes to contribute to the next generation less than their present proportion.

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