Hereditary Genius

Hereditary Genius: An Inquiry Into Its Laws and Consequences is a book by Francis Galton about the genetic inheritance of intelligence. It was first published in 1869 by Macmillan Publishers. The first American edition was published by D. Appleton & Company in 1870. It was Galton's first major work written from a hereditarian perspective. It was later referred to as "the first serious study of the inheritance of intelligence" and as "the beginning of scientific interest in the topic of genius."

In the book, Galton claimed that the sons of men whom he considered "eminent" in a given profession were more likely to achieve such eminence themselves than if they were not closely related to eminent individuals. He interpreted this pattern as evidence for genetic transmission of human intelligence, without considering the environment. Nicholas W. Gillham stated "He (Galton) dismissed the obvious objection that an eminent father was more likely to find a suitable position for his son than one less fortunate. That is, environment might be important too."

Galton’s controversial theories of intelligence have been influential, shaping the perspective of numerous researchers.