000 02282cam a22003013u 4500
001 31768
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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aBJ
100 1 _aMcElroy, John,
_d1846-1929
245 1 4 _aThe Economic Functions of Vice
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2010
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
500 _aRelease date is 2010-03-25
508 _aProduced by David Widger (Images obtained from the Google Books Project)
520 _a"The Economic Functions of Vice" by John McElroy is a sociopolitical discourse written in the early 20th century. This work examines the concept of vice and its role within society, positioning it as an inevitable force in social and biological evolution. The book reflects the author’s perspective on how vice operates in a natural selection framework, elucidating the idea that societal ills might serve as mechanisms for population control and the elimination of inferior elements within the human race. In this thought-provoking publication, McElroy argues that human beings are unique in their capacity for excess and vice, unlike other creatures that face natural predation. He posits that societal vices—such as alcoholism, crime, and immorality—serve a function akin to natural laws, helping to prune the population of those deemed unfit or inferior. McElroy offers various historical and biological examples to illustrate his points, consistently drawing parallels between the destructive effects of these vices and the principles of "survival of the fittest." Ultimately, he presents a controversial view that welcomes the idea of natural selection within human society, suggesting that vice might ironically contribute to societal health by weeding out the undesirables and allowing stronger individuals to thrive. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aConduct of life
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31768
999 _c72614
_d72614