Personal Beauty and Racial Betterment/Practical Steps in Conservation
Any consideration of the propagation of the most beautiful types involves a consideration of the standard of beauty; and as I have pointed out, there is a diversity in this respect, not only nationally, but to a lesser degree even within a single civilized nation. This diversity, however, is not a serious impediment, since any practical steps which might be taken would be based, not upon a narrow type-classification, but rather on a broad grouping of types including all divergencies which do not involve disregard of the fundamental principles of fitness.
In effect, we are considering, at the most, not
the extreme selection as carried out in stock-breeding, where a definite, narrowly defined character (such as speed, milk secretion, or color) is desired, even at the expense of other characters; but the elimination of the obviously unfit, and the promotion of the breeding of a wide range of more fit types. In so far as positive selection, as contrasted with elimination, is concerned, this can safely by accomplished by facilitating and fructifying the natural process of sexual selection rather than by arbitrary regulation.
In considering elimination, two questions are equally important: first, what classes of individuals should theoretically be eliminated? and second, what machinery of elimination is possible, and how far is it safe to allow this machinery to operate?
If we do not allow the second question to disturb us, the first question may readily receive a partial answer. Feeble-mindedness, hereditary insanity, and hereditary criminal tendencies (if such occur) should be nipped in all the buds they show. Individuals showing these traits definitely should not be allowed to reproduce. Diseases and organic weaknesses which are transmissible to offspring (if there be such diseases) should come under the same rigid ban. Although additions would need to be made to this list, the program indicated so far is so large that these additions might well be left to the indefinite future.
The actual adoption of measures for the elimination of the obviously unfit from participation in reproduction, offers at the present time difficulties which seem insuperable. Sterilization is the abstractly logical course to pursue, since it interferes with no function of the individual except the creation of children. But in addition to the psychological difficulties involved in social prejudices against this operation, there is a very real danger to be foreseen which can not be lightly set aside. If we could assume that the requisite machinery for the selection of those who should be sterilized would operate with perfect intelligence and without ethical lapses, we might view its introduction with equanimity. But such large chances are offered for ignorance and cupidity to work injustice that the scheme cannot possibly be accepted at the present time, whatever may be the conditions in some distant future.[1]
If sterilization were legally instituted at the present time, its practical administration would in all probability be placed in the hands of the medical profession as such (and the “as such” is here a very important consideration). The medical profession, in the United States at least, is a very strongly organized guild, having the essential characteristics of the labor unions. It includes a large number of the most intelligent, scientific and morally estimable men in the nation; but its rank and file are properly ranked as skillful technicians and not above the middle-class average in intelligence and morality. The commission to such an organization of such sweeping control as is contemplated by the proponents of sterilization would be a political revolution of a most portentous nature. The assigning of complex problems involving medical and other factors, to the control of the medical profession as such, does, and under conditions such as the present, will, not only endanger the solution of these very problems, but also introduce dangerous political situations. A similar statement could equally well be made of any other organized trade or profession. If the time ever comes when the control of sterilization could be committed to a nonprofessional body, employing the services of men of whatever professional skill may be needed, the possibility of systematic legal sterilization may become a live one. At present, it must be emphatically rejected.
Progress is possible towards the elimination of the unfit through the means which have most contributed to all progress, namely, education and publicity. The elimination under consideration is an ideal, which must be kept constantly in view, in order that all social changes, legislative and otherwise, may receive consideration, as regards their influence, direct or indirect, upon the facilitation of progress towards it.
Aside from the elimination of individuals of undesirable heredity, there are measures of a quasi-eliminatory character which may be taken to guard against deterioration of stocks. In addition to rational hygienic measures against the spread of diseases in general, special precautions are needed against venereal diseases, since these most seriously threaten the virility of the race. With these diseases, sterilization would not be a sufficient protection, inasmuch as that operation does not preclude their transmission to nonsterilized individuals. It is imperative that there be absolute prevention of intercourse between infected and noninfected persons; and this prevention is a task of gigantic proportions. Its accomplishment would probably necessitate the imprisonment (or the equivalent) of every individual case of gonorrhea and syphilis. If recent conclusions that leprosy is also a venereal disease, transmissible during a long period before it becomes recognizable, are correct, the handling of this disease, in countries where it flourishes, presents especial difficulties, since the attempt to stamp it out would involve the enforcement of more drastic
prohibitions against promiscuity than have ever been attempted.
In these cases again, education and publicity seem to be the chief available weapons at present. Minor legislation, such as severe punishment of individuals who can be shown to have infected others, and of syphilitic individuals who become parents, are worthy of consideration, but economic and general social influences bearing on the situation should not be neglected.
If, by concerted efforts of the governments of the world, venereal diseases could be finally stamped out, no events in the Christian era would be worthy to rank with this accomplishment except the defeat of the Mohammedans by Charles Martel and the defeat of the followers of the “good old German god” by Foch.
- ↑ Legal provision for sterilization has been made in several states in the Union. Apparently, the provision has not been followed in practice to any considerable extent.