The Descent of Man

children, and will be likely to marry earlier,
and leave a larger number of offspring to inherit
their inferior constitutions. But the inheritance
of property by itself is very far from an
evil; for without the accumulation of capital the
arts could not progress; and it is chiefly
through their power that the civilised races
have extended, and are now everywhere extending
their range, so as to take the place of
the lower races. Nor does the moderate accumulation
of wealth interfere with the process of
selection. When a poor man becomes moderately
rich, his children enter trades or professions
in which there is struggle enough, so that the
able in body and mind succeed best. The presence
of a body of well-instructed men, who
have not to labour for their daily bread, is important
to a degree which cannot be overestimated;
as all high intellectual work is carried
on by them, and on such work, material
progress of all kinds mainly depends, not to
mention other and higher advantages. No