etter or even
tolerable existence, for the simple reason that the weak, the diseased
and the children are no longer eliminated as in former times among
primitive races by infanticide, epidemics, wild-beasts, neglect or war
(it is now the strong and courageous who are eliminated by the
latter). But it is not in our power to modify our instinctive and
hereditary sexual appetite, while we have always at hand the necessary
means to regulate and improve procreation.

No prejudice, no dogma, no repetition of old maxims, based on
so-called immutable natural laws, can stand against such simple and
elementary truths. We like to call "natural laws" what to our limited
knowledge appears regular in nature. We formulate a law, and too often
make an idol, instead of always making further examinations, in the
light of new truths, to see if these so-called laws hold good. But the
new truths are there, crying for recognition. The sheet-anchor is in
our hands, in the form of measures to prevent or regulate conception.

We must, therefore, have recourse to these measures, with prudence,
employing them only at first where they are most necessary, and
especially insisting on the procreation of numerous children wherever
mental and moral strength is combined with bodily health. In this
connection I am strongly opposed to the neo-Malthusians, who simply
propose to diminish the number of births indiscriminately, as well as
to the religious dogmas, especially Catholic, which, under the
fallacious pretext of so-called divine inspiration, would hinder the
progress of the social sciences.

Human selection is the principle which should lead us to the object to
be attained in the remote future. It is not by legal constraint, but
by universal instruction, that we shall obtain general recognition and
acceptance of this principle. We have proved in Chapter VI, with
regard to sexual selection, that women are much more exclusive in
their choice than men, and that among savages they prefer courage and
bodily strength. At the present day, owing to change of customs,
cultured and intelligent women are, on the contrary, much less
attracted by man's physical strength than by his intellectual
superiority or genius. This gives us a very important indication of
the selection we desire, and confirms the necessity of instructing
women in sexual matters. I foresee that the enlightened and
intelligent women are those who will support human selection with the
gre