Review of Reviews,  1 (1890), 511.

A False Prophet of Coming Ill. Mr. Grant Allen's Vision of the Future

Anon

Genre:

Abstract

Publications abstracted:

Grant Allen Universal Review

Relevant illustrations:

photo.

Subjects:

Breeding, Human Species, Eugenics, Morality, Gender, Anti-Scientism


    Critical account of Allen's call for educated women to 'repudiate monogamy and deliberately seek to have as wide and varied a selection of fathers for their children as possible'. In this view, the 'ideal of motherhood' becomes 'indistinguishable from promiscuous but limited adultery' and threatens to undermine the code of morality which is 'common to humanity so far as mankind has emerged from the level of the savage'. Also describes Allen as 'a biologist who looks at the human race from the point of view of the stud-groom', and notes that 'the scientific instinct [...] looks upon human beings as the farmer regards his brood sows and prize boars'.



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