Mankind in the Making

by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

"Mankind in the Making" by H. G. Wells is a collection of essays published in 1903. Wells examines how children develop into citizens of the modern state, proposing a controversial doctrine called "New Republicanism" that judges all things by their effect on human evolution. He critiques contemporary institutions and addresses contentious topics including reproduction, child-rearing standards, infant mortality, and language education. Wells advocates for state-determined childcare standards and policies designed to discourage what he terms "inferior people" from reproducing, revealing the troubling eugenic thinking of his era.