WAR AND THE BREED by David Starr Jordan – PS, Institute of Peace Studies

Spread the love

The War and The Breed by David Starr Jordan.

The Relations of War to the Downfall of Nations

Download “War and the Breed” in PDF format

Priory of Salem, Institute of Peace Studies

War and the Breed: The Relation of War to the Downfall of Nations by David Starr Jordan, published in 1915. This is a book that explores the effects of war on human evolution, society, and civilization. Here is a summary of the main points of the book:

• The author argues that war is a destructive force that eliminates the best and brightest of the human race (in most societies), leaving behind the weak and unfit. He calls this process “reversed selection”, as it is the opposite of natural selection, which favors the survival of the fittest.

• The author provides various examples of how war has caused the decline or extinction of nations, races, and civilizations, such as the ancient Greeks, Romans, Persians, Egyptians, and others. He also examines the impact of war on modern Europe, especially the First World War, which he considers a “crime against humanity”.

• The author proposes that the only way to prevent war and its consequences is to promote peace and cooperation among nations, through education, arbitration, international law, and democracy. He also advocates for the improvement of the human breed, through eugenics, hygiene, and social reform.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION i

II. FACTORS IN ORGANIC EVOLUTION . . 3

Organic Evolution 3

Variation . • 4

Heredity 5

Selection 7

Segregation 9

Reversal of Selection 10

III. HUMAN GENETICS 12

Nature and Nurture 12

Meaning of Human Progress 14

Blood Will Tell 15

Artificial Selection 16

Return of the Fairies 17

Value of Individual Initiative 19

Law of Quetelet 22

Workings of Primogeniture 23

Effects of Race Poisons 25

Racial Loss through Emigration …. 27

Racial Loss through Immigration …. 28

Racial Inequality 32

IV. THE WAR SYSTEM AND MILITARISM . . 34

The War System 34

Militarism 38

Militarism and Industrialism 41

Militarism and Private Right 42

Militarism and Nationality 45

V. THE WAR SYSTEM AND RACE SELECTION 47

Franklin’s Views 47

Other Early Observations 49

Novicow and Richet 52

War as Race Suicide 57

War and Stature 61

Ammon’s Argument 67

Observations of La Pouge 69

Traumatic Neurosis 73

Hrdlicka’s Observations 73

Battlefield Infections 77

Losses in War 79

Are there Compensations? 82

Ruskin’s Testimony 88

Social Darwinism 90

Do We Exaggerate? 98

VI. MILITARY CONSCRIPTION . . . . . . loi

The Nation in Arms . , loi

Compulsory Service loi

Military Drill as Physical Training . . .104

The Boy Scouts 108

The Australian Plan 109

Eugenics of Conscription no

VII. THE WAR SYSTEM AND WOMEN . . . n8

Selection among Women 118

The Barbaric Drop 119

Womanhood and War 120

War Brides 123

Excess of Women after War 126

VIII. WAR SELECTION IN THE ANCIENT

WORLD 128

The Fall of Rome 128

Seeck’s Interpretation 134

Effects of Race Crossing 138

CONTENTS

PACE

Greece 141

Macedonia 146

Samarkand 148

IX. MILITARISM AND WAR SELECTION IN

WESTERN EUROPE 150

France 150

Spain 161

Paraguay 163

Germany 164

X. MILITARISM AND WAR SELECTION IN

GREAT BRITAIN 172

Cost of Empire 172

The Picked Half Million 178

Tommy Atkins 183

The Non-resistants 184

Scotland 185

XL THE UNITED STATES AND WAR . . .190

War Selection and the Republic …. 190
War’s Aftermath in Virginia 194

XIL DOES HUMAN NATURE CHANGE? . . .199

How Human Nature Changes 199

The Visionary in History 201

XIIL AFTER WAR, WHAT? 215

APPENDIX

A The Long Cost of War : Saleeby . .
B Military Training in the Schools: Impey
C Military Service in Germany: Villard .
D Military Service in France: Guerard .
E A Digression on Uniforms: Gardiner .

223
223
225
230
234
24s

CONTENTS

PAGE

F The Queen’s Daughters in India: Andrew and

BusHNELL 246

G SiMPLICIUS SiMPLICISSIMUS: Grimmelshausen . 250
H Decline of German Literature in the Thir-
teenth Century: Rendtorff 252

I Peace and Degeneracy: Irwin 264

war-and-the-breed-pdf-book-david-starr-jordan