e greatest good in sex-education.]

The greatest good which may come from the sex-education movement is not
prevention or elimination of social diseases, it is not improved
health, it is not general acceptance of the moral law of sex, it is not
one or all these that are devoutly to be hoped for; but far greater
than such possible results from sex-education, it will bring to many a
man and woman a deeper, nobler, and purer knowledge of what sex means
for the coming race and of what it means now to each individual who
realizes life's fullest possibilities in conjugal affection which
culminates in new life and new motives for more affection. Such an
understanding of sex in relation to home life will help this old world
more than anything else which sex-education may accomplish.

[Sidenote: The greatest sex problem.]

The problems of sex and marriage deserve far more attention than can be
given in this lecture. I am convinced that knowledge of sex in its
physical, psychical, social, and aesthetic aspects is the only sure
foundation for harmonious marriage under modern conditions. Therefore,
I believe this to be the greatest sex problem open to educational
attack.

Sec. 13. _The Eighth Problem for Sex-instruction: Eugenics_

[Sidenote: Meaning of eugenics.]

Eugenics, or the science of human good breeding, is just now the most
popular of the problems concerning human sex and reproduction. In
recent years, the biological investigators of heredity have published
some startling facts which show that the human race must soon check its
reckless propagation of the unfit and encourage reproduction by the
best types of men and women. This is not the place for a review of the
eugenic propositions. Those interested will find them in non-technical
form in many books (see the bibliographical chapter of this book, page
248).

[Sidenote: Eugenics in biology.]

Some of the chief facts of eugenics should be a part of every
well-organized scheme of sex-instruction, and taught through biology
(Sec. 17). Probably no other topic in biology is so likely to make an
ethical-social appeal, for the central point of eugenics is the
responsibility of the individual whose uncontrolled sexual actions may
transmit undesirable and heritable qualities and bring a train of
disaster to generations of descendants.

[Sidenote: Relation of eugenics and sex-hygiene.]

At this point we digress to correct the widespread error in confusing
sex-hygien