centuries--fancifully, 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
prosperity--based 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 ability--even 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.

With this definition of Eugenics and preliminary statement of its aims
before us we may proceed to a somewhat fuller statement of the facts
within this field. First let us consider the relation of the science
of Eugenics to its parent sciences, biology and sociology, then after
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