The Fertility of the Unfit

"The Fertility of the Unfit" by W. A. Chapple is a publication that explores a worrying trend in population changes during the early 1900s era. It focuses on a growing problem: the increasing birth rate among people deemed "unfit," like criminals and those with disabilities, as compared to the decreasing birth rate of the "fit" members of society. The book goes into important ideas about morality, what society owes its people, and the possible future effects of these changes on society in general. Rutherford Waddell's preface emphasizes the importance of seriously considering the causes of the problem, and how to fix it, from keeping criminals in prison for longer periods of time to thinking about methods to control the number of children the “unfit” have. The initial chapters create a basis for analyzing the different reasons causing a decline in births among the "fit" population and a rise in births among the "unfit", including historical views, biological principles, and how society feels about family planning.