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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
fulfilment of its primary purpose—the procreation of useful
lives.
The interests of posterity have found a powerful advocate
in eugenics within the boundaries of morality. It is morality
which binds civilised society together. If eugenics
disregarded morality it would defy its own ends by disintegrating
the existing organisation of State and Society, without
which rational and efficient methods in the procreation of
healthy progeny would be impossible. In order to increase
her population during time of war, Germany has adopted
measures which are right and proper in the management
of a horse stud, but which are degrading to human society
and seriously undermine sexual morality. Such a mode
of procedure lies outside the scope of eugenics, which
do not aim at destroying morality, but, on the contrary,
rather tend to promote a higher and more enlightened
standard by the conclusion of suitable marriages, in the
regulation of divorce, and the condemnation of irregular
sexual relations injurious to posterity. So much for the
correlation between eugenics and morality.
Hitherto marriage has been left to the decision of the
individual. This can hardly be expected to remain so in
the future. Marriage as the lawful compact for bringing
about the birth of new human lives cannot be left
unreservedly to the free will of the single individual, as upon
it rests the very foundation of State and Society. It cannot
altogether be considered only from the standpoint of the
satisfaction and pleasure it affords, the element of duty
being too pre-eminent. The fact that two human beings—
who may in many ways differ from each other—are living
together in such close proximity, involves the mutual
blending of character and the sacrificing of personal comforts
and self-indulgence. Such relationship demands a
renouncing of egotism for the higher ideal of life found in family
responsibilities, and the privilege of perpetuating the species.
In all its aspects marriage bears not only a private but a
public character. It cannot be considered otherwise but
in the light of a social function with attendant social obliga-
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