fore, includes not only a familiarity with the methods directly applicable to social material, but also a knowledge of all the anterior sciences upon which the science of sociology is built. "Such discipline as this may be difficult, but it is indispensable. It is the only preparatory education which can introduce the positive spirit into the formation of social theories."

1973

"Social science must always remain inferior in all important speculative respects to all the other fundamental sciences. Yet we cannot but feel, after this review of its spirit, its function, and its resources, that the abundance of its means of investigation may establish it in a higher position of rationality than the present state of the human mind might seem to promise.'

99 74

We cannot bring this chapter to a close more appropriately perhaps than by appending an estimate of Comte by Ward, who, conscious of the defects of the system yet grasps adequately its significance as one of the truly great contributions to the development of social theory. After having surveyed the Positive Philosophy in some detail, and having compared it with the achievements of others he says: "Comte's system, on the contrary, is truly a system. It really seeks to coördinate the sciences. It makes a bold and gigantic stride across the whole field, and, allowing for certain defects, which have for the most part been pointed out in the previous chapter, it realizes more nearly than anything that had preceded it the ideal of a true philosophy.

But with Comte the data were still very deficient. His laborious life rendered it impossible for him to acquaint himself with the known facts of his time. The details of his system are, consequently, very imperfect-often, as already shown, erroneous. His great service, therefore, was to lay out the general scheme, and sketch the most comprehensive and fundamental laws. The best-founded charge that has been or can be made against it is that it was crude. A universal philosophy had been founded. It remained to be improved and perfected.” 75

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barnes, H. E., Sociology Before Comte, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. XXIII, September, 1917.

Booth, A. J., Saint-Simon and Saint-Simonism, Longmans, London, 1871.

Branford, Victor, The Founders of Sociology, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. X, July, 1904.

Comte, August, Positive Philosophy, tr. by Martineau, Blanchord, New York, 1855.

Condorcet, M. de, Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind, anonymous translation, London, 1795.

Davis, Michael M., Psychological Interpretations of Society, Longmans, New York, 1909.

Gide and Rist, History of Economic Doctrines, tr. by Richards, Heath, New York, 1913.

Lewes, Geo. Henry, Biographical History of Philosophy, Appleton, New York, 1877.

Mill, John Stuart, August Comte and Positivism, Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1866.

Morley, John, Critical Miscellanies, Vol. 2, Macmillan, New York, 1898. Robinson, J. H., History of Western Europe, Ginn, New York, 1903. Ward, Lester F., Dynamic Sociology, Appleton, New York, 1883.

I.

2.

3.

TOPICS FOR CRITICAL STUDY

In what respects did Montesquieu pioneer the way for Comte?
Make a list of suggestions. Cf. Comte, Positive Philosophy, pp.
442-4.

Is it possible to reconcile Condorcet's theory of the progress of
the human intellect with the latest theories of evolution? Cf.
E. G. Conklin, The Direction of Human Evolution, Ch. VI.
In what respects was the work of Saint-Simon an advance over
that of Condorcet, and what are the main ideas which he set forth
that were developed by Comte?

4. Compare John Stuart Mill's logical defense of "social science" with that of Comte, noting particularly his doctrine of determinism. Cf., Inductive Logic, Book VI, Ch. I-VI.

5. Compare Comte's concept of "cerebral physiology" with modern developments in psychology. Cf. H. H. Goddard, The Psychology of the Normal and Sub-Normal, Part I; also, Maurice Parmelee, The Science of Human Behavior, Ch. VI-XIV.

6. Discuss Comte's explanation of insanity in the light of ancient and modern interpretations of this phenomenon.

7. What light is thrown upon Comte's explanation of the conflict of progressive and conservative ideas by S. N. Patten, in his theory of the Pain and Pleasure economy? Cf. The Theory of Social Forces.

8. What are the elements of Comte's theory of society which may be regarded as stimulating the application of the historic method in the study of human social institutions?

9. Compare the training necessary to the scientific study of society as proposed by Comte with that of Spencer. Cf. The Study of Sociology, Ch. XIII-XV.

10.

II.

Formulate a statement of Comte's conception of society as a "Social Organism" from a careful study of Positive Philosophy, Book VI, Ch. V, and compare this with Spencer's, in Principles of Sociology, Vol. I, Part II. What similarities are to be found? Discuss the importance attached to "Classification" by Comte and

evaluate its importance to the scientific method. Cf. A. W. Small, General Sociology, pp. 65-74.

12. Study the summaries of Comte's influence on the development of social theory in L. M. Bristol, Social Adaptation, pp. 26-8, and

E. S. Bogardus, A History of Social Thought, Ch. XIII, especially p. 225. Make a similar summary of your own.

IN

CHAPTER XI

DARWIN AND EVOLUTION

SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

N the preceding discussions we have become familiar with the dynamic concept, or theory of progress. Increasingly among the later writers, Condorcet, Saint-Simon and Comte, this view became established. The static concept of an originally perfect world was no longer adequate nor indeed tenable. But while movement was obvious, the processes and regularities of progressive change remained to be analyzed and described and constituted the challenge of all thinking minds. This collective achievement, together with its immediate bearing upon social theory, must now be surveyed.

Two phases required demonstration before the applicability of the theory of evolution to social science could be perceived. First, man's place in nature had to be discovered and demonstrated. Unless man is a product of the organic process, organic laws do not apply to him, and he remains forever outside the domain of organic science. This aspect of the problem was solved by Charles Darwin in his theory of organic evolution and his demonstration of man's position in the organic series. Second, the universality of the process throughout the entire domain of human observation and experience required demonstration if the phenomena of man's collective life were to be included within the scientific purview. This was the achievement of Herbert Spencer in his theory of universal evolution.

The theory of evolution itself was an evolution. The chief incidents of this process, as it concerns Darwin and organic evolution, together with its more conspicuous early applications, constitute the material of this chapter.

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Since the procedure of science in generalization from facts, a brief survey of the materials and methods of quantitative analysis seem necessary to the proper understanding of its application to social data.