Pioneers of birth control in England and America . tor charged 6s. instead of his pamphlet, he would have been per-mitted to retain his M. R. C. P. E.—^butthis was not the first time that the humblesixpence played a role in neo-malthusianhistory. 55 PIONEERS OF BIRTH CONTROL Darwin acknowledged that he was pro-foundly influenced by Malthusianism,Huxley clearly recognized the calamityof over-population among the poor, andHerbert Spencer has left us a splendidneo-malthusian slogan: I detest that conception of socialprogress which presents as its aim in-crease of population, growth of weal
Pioneers of birth control in England and America . tor charged 6s. instead of his pamphlet, he would have been per-mitted to retain his M. R. C. P. E.—^butthis was not the first time that the humblesixpence played a role in neo-malthusianhistory. 55 PIONEERS OF BIRTH CONTROL Darwin acknowledged that he was pro-foundly influenced by Malthusianism,Huxley clearly recognized the calamityof over-population among the poor, andHerbert Spencer has left us a splendidneo-malthusian slogan: I detest that conception of socialprogress which presents as its aim in-crease of population, growth of wealth,spread of commerce. In the politico-economic ideal of human existence thereis contemplated quantity only and notquality. Instead of an immense amountof life of low type I would far soonersee half the amount of life of a hightype. Increase in the swarms of peoplewhose existence is subordinated to ma-terial development is rather to be la-mented than rejoiced over. In England, the battle for birth controlhas virtually been won: within recent 56. HAVELOCK ELLIS THE MALTHUSIAN LEAGUE years, the Malthusian League has distrib-uted, without official interference, thou-sands of leaflets to married people, de-scribing methods of contraception. Manyof the leading Englishmen of the day areimpressed with the catastrophe of un-checked procreation. Among the vice-presidents of the Malthusian League aresuch distinguished names as Arnold Ben-nett, H. G. Wells, Eden Phillpotts, Jo-seph McCabe, and John M. Britains foremost sexual psychol-ogist, Havelock Ellis, has written telling-ly for birth control, and Bernard Shawhas sunmied up the propaganda in a char-acteristic epigram: The artificial steril-ization of matrimony is the most revolu-tionary discovery of the nineteenth cen-tury. 57 THE AMERICAN PROPA-GANDISTS Having thus started in on the trail of a waif,we shall follow it chapter by chapter from thewomb to the tomb—from its birth in the lying-inward of the hospital to
Size: 1325px × 1885px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpioneersofbi, bookyear1919
