Manly P. Hall — Lecture 199

Heredity, Environment and Reincarnation as Factors in Behavior

Date: July 14, 1974 Lecturer: Manly P. Hall Location: PRS, Los Angeles Archival Summary Prepared for Alan’s Hall Collection

I. Overview and Central Thesis

Hall examines three great determinants of human conduct—heredity, environment, and reincarnation—and argues that only when all three are understood together can we explain the complexity of human behavior.

He frames the human being as a multi‑layered entity:

• Biological inheritance shapes the physical instrument.
• Environmental conditioning shapes habits, attitudes, and social reflexes.
• Reincarnational continuity shapes the deeper moral, intellectual, and karmic tendencies that persist across lifetimes.

Hall’s central claim: behavior is the intersection of these three forces, and the purpose of life is to gradually bring them into harmony so that the soul may unfold its latent virtues.

II. Heredity: The Physical Instrument and Its Limitations

1. Biological inheritance as the “vehicle”

Hall emphasizes that heredity provides the body, not the soul.

• The body is a tool shaped by ancestral patterns.
• It carries strengths and weaknesses: temperament, vitality, predispositions, and vulnerabilities.

2. The family line as a karmic convenience

Souls gravitate toward families whose physical and psychological patterns match their karmic needs.

• Not because the family “causes” the karma
• But because the family provides the right instrument for karmic expression.

3. Heredity cannot explain genius or moral character

Hall insists that:

• Genius does not reliably appear in family lines.
• Moral greatness does not descend genetically.
• These qualities come from inner development, not chromosomes.

Thus heredity is necessary but insufficient for explaining behavior.

III. Environment: The Social and Psychological Climate

1. Environment as the “shaping field”

Environment includes:

• Family upbringing
• Education
• Cultural norms
• Economic conditions
• Peer groups
• Social pressures

These shape habits, attitudes, and behavioral reflexes.

2. Environment can distort or refine the soul’s expression

A noble soul in a poor environment may struggle to express its virtues. A troubled soul in a supportive environment may be restrained from destructive tendencies.

3. Environment is not destiny

Hall stresses that environment explains surface behavior, not the deeper moral and intellectual structure of a person.

• Two children raised identically may diverge dramatically.
• This divergence points to reincarnational differences.

IV. Reincarnation: The Continuity of the Inner Life

1. The soul as the true bearer of character

Reincarnation carries forward:

• Moral tendencies
• Intellectual achievements
• Emotional patterns
• Unresolved conflicts
• Aspirations and ideals

These form the core of individuality.

2. Karma as the architect of opportunity

Karma selects:

• The family (heredity)
• The culture and circumstances (environment)
• The challenges and lessons of the lifetime

Thus reincarnation is the primary determinant of behavior, with heredity and environment serving as its instruments.

3. The “unfinished business” model

Hall describes reincarnation as the soul returning to:

• Complete lessons
• Balance debts
• Strengthen virtues
• Transform weaknesses

Behavior is therefore the visible expression of invisible karmic momentum.

V. The Interaction of the Three Factors

Hall presents a triangular model:

Factor	Domain	Function
Heredity	Physical	Provides the body and temperament
Environment	Social/Psychological	Conditions habits and attitudes
Reincarnation	Moral/Spiritual	Determines character, purpose, and karmic direction

1. Behavior emerges from their intersection

A person’s actions reflect:

• The body they inherited
• The world they inhabit
• The soul they bring with them

2. Conflicts arise when the three are misaligned

Examples:

• A spiritually advanced soul in a crude environment
• A sensitive soul in a harsh or violent family
• A strong karmic mission in a weak physical body

These tensions are part of the soul’s growth.

VI. Moral Development and Responsibility

1. The soul must master its instruments

Hall emphasizes that spiritual growth requires:

• Understanding the limitations of heredity
• Overcoming environmental conditioning
• Fulfilling karmic obligations

2. Behavior is not excused by heredity or environment

While these factors influence conduct, they do not determine moral responsibility. The soul is always capable of choosing the higher path.

3. The purpose of life is self-directed improvement

Hall frames life as a school in which:

• Heredity provides the classroom
• Environment provides the curriculum
• Reincarnation provides the student’s level of advancement

VII. Practical Implications

1. Compassion for others

Understanding the three factors encourages:

• Patience
• Empathy
• Non-judgment
• Recognition that each person is fighting unseen battles

2. Self-understanding

We can analyze our own lives by asking:

• What did heredity give me?
• How has environment shaped me?
• What deeper tendencies suggest past-life origins?

3. Education and social reform

Hall argues that society must:

• Improve environments
• Support healthy heredity
• Recognize the spiritual dimension of human development

Without acknowledging reincarnation, social sciences remain incomplete.

VIII. Conclusion: The Soul’s Journey Through Many Lives

Hall ends by reaffirming that human behavior is not random or accidental. It is the visible expression of an invisible continuity.

• Heredity gives us the body.
• Environment gives us the world.
• Reincarnation gives us ourselves.

The task of life is to bring these three into harmony so that the soul may gradually unfold its latent divinity.