Chapter VIII - Morals part 2Chapter VIII - Morals part 2
Psychology of Alcoholism, The by George Barton Cutten (1874 - 1962)
George Barton Cutten examines how parental drinking, heredity and early exposure to alcohol may damage children and increase their likelihood of addiction. He also weighs these influences against the question of how far an alcoholic can fairly be held morally responsible.
42:25•1 Apr 2026
Heredity, Childhood Harm and Moral Responsibility in Alcoholism
Episode Overview
- Parental alcoholism is linked to high rates of nervous disorders, epilepsy, mental impairment and physical defects in children.
- Medical and prison statistics are used to argue that many Alcoholics come from families with long-standing histories of inebriety or other neuroses.
- Maternal drinking, especially during pregnancy and nursing, is presented as particularly dangerous, with strikingly high infant death and epilepsy rates.
- Alcohol given to babies and young children, whether via breast milk or as a “soothing” remedy, is described as a significant but often overlooked cause of early alcoholism.
- Cutten argues that, despite heredity and environment, some degree of responsibility still rests with the drinker, at least in the earlier stages before addiction takes full hold.
“The crave for alcohol seems to be handed down to them, and they take to drink as a duck to water.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This chapter from **"Psychology of Alcoholism" by George Barton Cutten** takes a hard, data-heavy look at how alcohol use in parents affects their children’s bodies, minds, and moral lives. Rather than anecdotes, you’ll get long lists of medical observations and court statistics. Cutten quotes doctors, prison records, and reform school data to argue that parental drinking can shape a child’s nervous system, health and even their likelihood of craving alcohol.
One stark line sums it up: **"The crave for alcohol seems to be handed down to them, and they take to drink as a duck to water."** The focus stays on heredity and early-life exposure. You’ll hear about children who show “feeble memory, inability to learn, and a certain want of perception of the ordinary duties of life,” and about heartbreaking infant death rates linked to alcoholic mothers.
There’s also a striking section on so‑called “infantile acquired alcoholism”, where alcohol reaches babies through breast milk or is given directly on sugar or bread as a home remedy. Cutten doesn’t let environment off the hook either. He reports that many people are pulled into drinking by social pressure, the grind of overwork, poverty, pain, and the promise of quick relief.
Still, he repeatedly comes back to the controversial question of **moral responsibility**: how much blame can you place on someone whose nervous system and upbringing stacked the odds against them, and at what point does a habit shift from “vice” to “disorder”? This chapter suits anyone curious about historical medical views on alcoholism, especially those interested in heredity, childhood risk, and the ethics of holding people accountable for their drinking.
It’s not light listening, but it may leave you asking hard questions about where responsibility ends and vulnerability begins.
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