Is America safe for democracy? Six lectures given at the Lowell Institute of Boston, under the title "Anthropology and history, or The influence of anthropologic constitution on the destinies of nations, "

William Mcdougall, William Mcdougall

Sujets

• United States
• Civilization
• Eugenics
• Race

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 9
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

BERrElEY
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF .
CAUFORNIA/AMERICAIS
SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY?IS AMERICA
SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY?
SIX LECTURES GIVEN AT THE
LOWELL INSTITUTE OF BOSTON, UNDER THE TITLE
"anthropology AND HISTORY, OR
THE INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOLOGIC CONSTITUTION
"
ON THE DESTINIES OF NATIONS
BY
WILLIAM McDOUGALL
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY IN HARVARD COLLEGE
YORKNEW
SCRIBNER'S SONSCHARLES
1921Copyright, 1921, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
Published June, 1921
THE 8CRIBNER PRESSFOREWORD
speeding gaily,As I watch the American nation
de-with invincible optimism, down the road to
I contemplating the greateststruction, seem to be
tragedy in the history of mankind. Other nations
their placeshave declined and passed away; and
have been filled, the torch of civilization has been
new nationscaught up and carried forward by
from the shadow-lands of barbarism.emerging
down,But, if the American nation should go
we expect new birth of progress?whence may a
takeshall we look for a virile stock fit toWhere
world-leadership ? Itmay be thatup the tasks of
themillions of the Far East containthe yellow
progress and stability.potency of an indefinite
What-uncertain possibiUty.That is a vague and
be, it behooves us, theever that potency may
mostcivilization, to takebearers of Western
prevent, if possible,anxious thought that we may
ofwhich have been the fatethe decline and decay
Europe and of the Nearall the civilized nations of
and Middle East.
have been published,.excellent booksManyvi FOREWORD
the claimsurging of "eugenics," since Francis
Galton first stirred the conscience of Europe and
America on this problem of the preservation of
human quahties. Most of these books have been
written from the purely biological standpoint.
They give excellent accounts of the principles of
natural selection, of heredity, and of the Men-
dehan laws. It has seemed to me that a presen-
tation caseof the for eugenics from a more psy-
chological standpoint and on a broad historical
background might usefully supplement these bio-
logical treatises. For, important as are the facts
and principles of physical heredity, the general
reader havemay some difficulty in connecting the
processes of cell-division, the chromosomes of the
fruit-fly, or the coat-colors of piebald guinea-pigs
with the spiritual endowment of mankind. I have
therefore brought together in these few lectures
the findings of mental anthropology, which are
now beginning on largeto be garnered a scale;
and I have tried to indicate, in as impartial and
scientific possible in this stilla manner as is ob-
scure field, their bearing upon the great problems
of national welfare national decay. The bodyand
theof book is of six lecturesthe substance given
at the Lowell inInstitute of Boston the spring of
this year. I have added in foot-notes some evi-