Note CK — Chapter XX · RULES OF EUGENICS

No doubt castration is a severe penalty for any human being. But degeneracy itself is the penalty for the violation of biological laws, and the eradication of degeneracy is no more than the satisfaction of the law of talion and the restoration of the moral equilibrium. Society has a right to make use of these measures of defense to free itself of the degenerates, and nothing short than depriving them of the capability of procreation will do the work.

This right does not mean that it is the duty of the State to make search for inoffensive degenerates to satisfy the law of talion. In the interest of personal liberty, it would be very dangerous to give society the right to pick up inoffensive men and women on the streets, declare them imbeciles and sterilize or castrate them. This would throw the doors wide open to abuse. Only those who place themselves or are placed under society’s protection, either in asylums or in prisons, and have thus become society’s wards should be subjected to the rules and regulations of society.