D
davidford
Guest
Darwin
literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-descent-of-man/chapter-05.html
_ _ The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is
_ _ mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy,
_ _ which was originally acquired as part of the social
_ _ instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner
_ _ previously indicated, more tender and more widely
_ _ diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the
_ _ urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest
_ _ part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself
_ _ whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is
_ _ acting for the good of his patient; but if we were
_ _ intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could
_ _ only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming
_ _ present evil. We must therefore bear the undoubtedly
_ _ bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their
_ _ kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady
_ _ action, namely that the weaker and inferior members of
_ _ society do not marry so freely as the sound; and this
_ _ check might be indefinitely increased by the weak in body
_ _ or mind refraining from marriage, though this is more to
_ _ be hoped for than expected.
_ _ In every country in which a large standing army is kept
_ _ up, the finest young men are taken by the conscription or
_ _ are enlisted. They are thus exposed to early death during
_ _ war, are often tempted into vice, and are prevented from
_ _ marrying during the prime of life. On the other hand the
_ _ shorter and feebler men, with poor constitutions, are left
_ _ at home, and consequently have a much better chance of
_ _ marrying and propagating their kind.*
_ _ * Prof. H. Fick (“Einfluss der Naturwissenschaft auf das
_ _ Recht,” June, 1872) has some good remarks on this
_ _ head, and on other such points.
I disagree with this Darwin:
_ _ We must therefore bear the undoubtedly
_ _ bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their
_ _ kind…
In my view, “feebler men, with poor constitutions” should be prevented from “marrying and propagating their kind.”
Darwin also says:
_ _ Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the
_ _ urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest
_ _ part of our nature.
Now, I think we can “check our sympathy… at the urging of hard reason”-- and the colder, the harder the “hard reason,” the better.
Here’s how we can “check our sympathy… at the urging of hard reason”: as Darwin observes,
_ _ The surgeon may harden himself
_ _ whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is
_ _ acting for the good of his patient…
If a doctor knows that he is “acting for the good of his patient,” he can steel himself for bloody action, be that:
removal of a cancerous tumor,
amputation of a gangrenous limb,
killing of an unwanted pre-born human life via abortion,
killing of racially-unfit human life, or
killing of mentally-disabled or physically-disabled or overly-elderly human life.
In a similar manner, if I know that I am “acting for the good of” a “patient,” be that 1 person or a large group of people-- perhaps a nation-- I can steel/ “harden” myself for bloody action.
literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-descent-of-man/chapter-05.html
_ _ The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is
_ _ mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy,
_ _ which was originally acquired as part of the social
_ _ instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner
_ _ previously indicated, more tender and more widely
_ _ diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the
_ _ urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest
_ _ part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself
_ _ whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is
_ _ acting for the good of his patient; but if we were
_ _ intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could
_ _ only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming
_ _ present evil. We must therefore bear the undoubtedly
_ _ bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their
_ _ kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady
_ _ action, namely that the weaker and inferior members of
_ _ society do not marry so freely as the sound; and this
_ _ check might be indefinitely increased by the weak in body
_ _ or mind refraining from marriage, though this is more to
_ _ be hoped for than expected.
_ _ In every country in which a large standing army is kept
_ _ up, the finest young men are taken by the conscription or
_ _ are enlisted. They are thus exposed to early death during
_ _ war, are often tempted into vice, and are prevented from
_ _ marrying during the prime of life. On the other hand the
_ _ shorter and feebler men, with poor constitutions, are left
_ _ at home, and consequently have a much better chance of
_ _ marrying and propagating their kind.*
_ _ * Prof. H. Fick (“Einfluss der Naturwissenschaft auf das
_ _ Recht,” June, 1872) has some good remarks on this
_ _ head, and on other such points.
I disagree with this Darwin:
_ _ We must therefore bear the undoubtedly
_ _ bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their
_ _ kind…
In my view, “feebler men, with poor constitutions” should be prevented from “marrying and propagating their kind.”
Darwin also says:
_ _ Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the
_ _ urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest
_ _ part of our nature.
Now, I think we can “check our sympathy… at the urging of hard reason”-- and the colder, the harder the “hard reason,” the better.
Here’s how we can “check our sympathy… at the urging of hard reason”: as Darwin observes,
_ _ The surgeon may harden himself
_ _ whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is
_ _ acting for the good of his patient…
If a doctor knows that he is “acting for the good of his patient,” he can steel himself for bloody action, be that:
removal of a cancerous tumor,
amputation of a gangrenous limb,
killing of an unwanted pre-born human life via abortion,
killing of racially-unfit human life, or
killing of mentally-disabled or physically-disabled or overly-elderly human life.
In a similar manner, if I know that I am “acting for the good of” a “patient,” be that 1 person or a large group of people-- perhaps a nation-- I can steel/ “harden” myself for bloody action.