The Marriage of Near Kin: Considered With Respect to the Law of Nations, the Results of Experience, and the Teachings of Biology (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Alfred Henry Huth

9780266476559: The Marriage of Near Kin: Considered With Respect to the Law of Nations, the Results of Experience, and the Teachings of Biology (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0266476554 ISBN 13: 9780266476559

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Excerpt from The Marriage of Near Kin: Considered With Respect to the Law of Nations, the Results of Experience, and the Teachings of Biology

The first condition is easily secured, because it only requires a little mechanical arrangement; but how are we to know whether a given couple should be allowed to marry or not? Were either insane we should not allow it, because we know that the chances are the progeny would also be insane. If a parent of either had become insane after marriage then we should not prohibitit, because, though there would be a good chance that insanity was become hereditary in the family, yet there would also be a good chance that the children might escape any hereditary taint, and the risk of prohibition would therefore be too great, we could not, for the sake of possible good, drive to a positive evil. For the same reason, or possiblyfrom motives of humanity, we do not dissolve a sterile marriage as so many nations have done, and still do. The benefit in a great and fertile population would be very doubtful; the evil most assured. And yet we prohibit marriages be tween near kin. Is then the immorality caused by certain of these prohibitions nothing; and Is the gain so very great?

The sole reason why we now prohibit these mar riages, is that our fathers did so, and their fathers did so before them. Yet our fathers permitted marriage between cr�tins, lepers, and between many other persons, in cases where we should now prohibit it.

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