Chapter VIII - Morals part 2Chapter VIII - Morals part 2
Psychology of Alcoholism, The by George Barton Cutten (1874 - 1962)
A historical psychological text examines heredity, infant exposure, and social conditions in relation to alcoholism, with a strong focus on children of people who drink heavily. It questions how much responsibility can fairly be placed on the individual once biology and environment have done their part.
42:25•1 Apr 2026
Heredity, Morals and the Heavy Burden Placed on Children of Drinkers
Episode Overview
- Early medical writers cited extensive statistics suggesting that children of people who drink heavily face higher risks of epilepsy, mental disability, and other nervous disorders.
- Maternal drinking during pregnancy and nursing is described as especially harmful, with reports of high infant death rates and serious convulsions.
- Infants and young children were often given alcohol directly or through breast milk, creating what the author calls infantile acquired alcoholism.
- Heredity, illness, head injuries, poverty, overwork, and social pressure are all presented as strong influences that can push someone toward heavy drinking.
- The text argues that drinking starts as a voluntary act but can become a state where stopping is extremely difficult, leaving a debated but real element of personal responsibility.
“The crave for alcohol seems to be handed down to them, and they take to drink as a duck to water.”
How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction when heredity, biology, and environment all seem stacked against them? This classic psychology text, read aloud in a calm, measured style, tackles that question head-on by looking at alcoholism through early 20th-century medical eyes. Rather than telling modern recovery stories, the chapter walks through detailed case notes and statistics from physicians, judges, and institutions.
You’ll hear arguments about whether children of people who drink heavily are simply unlucky, or if they inherit a nervous system that’s primed for trouble once alcohol enters the picture.
One striking 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 reading covers parental drinking before conception, during pregnancy, and while nursing, and how each is said to affect infant health, early death rates, epilepsy, and mental development.
There’s a strong focus on maternal drinking, with prison and hospital data showing high infant mortality and nervous problems in children of women described as inebriates. You’ll also hear about social and emotional triggers: overwork, poverty, grief, the need for courage, and the pressure to be sociable. The author wrestles with a key ethical question: if heredity and environment push someone towards alcohol, how much moral responsibility can fairly be placed on the individual?
The chapter suggests that drinking starts as a choice but may become a condition where stopping is no longer within easy reach. Anyone interested in how earlier generations tried to understand addiction, blame, and responsibility may find this reading challenging, sometimes unsettling, but undeniably rich in detail. It might leave you asking: where do you personally draw the line between cause, excuse, and compassion?
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