, 1874-01-18
LITERATURE.


Descriptive Sociology.
DESCRIPTIVE SOCIOLOGY; on, GEouPs OF So
bles Folio, with 70 Pages Of Accompanying Text
New York: D. Appleton Co. 1874
Among the various points OF criticiam upo1
the philosophical system OF 3fr. Spencer, it has
been charged that he had entirely neglected the
facts of history. That he had been led nte
generalizations in the fragments OF sociological
operations which have, in the course Of the pub"
lication Of his volumes, appeared incidentally
when treating Of the law Of Evolution, which
were purely speculative, and not sustained BY
facts, was urged before his work had reached its
present state, and for the time appeared we'll
founded Tho present work is an abundant
answer to such criticisms, and is indeed, but the
necessary result of the plan upon which Mr. Spen-
cer has from the first proceeded. In his volume on
Education" published ten years ago. he point
cd out the worthlessness Of ordinary history.
and, in few pregnant paragraphs gave an out
line Of q natural history Of society, which, en-
tirely subordinating the purely, narrative history
should give us in its place an assemblage Of
organizable facts, so arranged that We might
readily trace the consensus subsisting between
them, with the view OF learning what social
phenomena co-exist with what others:
Let s ae then said] have account Of the govern
ment Of nation, with little may be OF gossip
abous the men who oicered 1t. and much as posi-
BILE about the structure principles methods, pre!u-
dicea corruptions, &C., which 1t exhibited; and let
OF the central government but also those Of local gov
ernmeuts, down to their mlnutest rnmifcationa.
Let US, OF course also have parallel description
OF the ecclesiastical gosernment-its organization its
conduct its power, its relations to the State and
accompanying this, the ceremonial creed, and
lig1ous ideas only those nominaly believed, but
114- 1c1{n nCafA Ann Tot Bt
game time be informed Of the control exercised by
caEa over Glass; displayed in all aocia obseryances
know too, what were al the other customs which re-
gated the popu1ar life. out-ofdoors aud indoors
Including those which concern the Relations OF tho
se1e and the relations Of parents to children. The
supe5stions also, from the more important myths
down TO the charms in common Use, should ba in
dicated Next should come deliueation Ct the in
dustrial system, showing to what extent the division
Of labor was carried how trades were regulated.
whether by caste, guilds. otherwise : what was the
we're the agencies for distributing commodities what
were the means Of communication what the cir
culating medium. Accompanying al which should
come an account Of the industrial arts technically
sidcred. stating the processes In use anl the
qunlity OF tho products. Further, the intellectual
q the a,pn x II us Is { 5 n
Of education, but with respect to the progress
made in science. AMI the prevailing manner Of think
architecture sculpture Painting, dress, music, poetry
and fiction, should be described And lastly, to con-
meet the whole should be exhibited the morals thee
aws, huDits prorerbe. deoaa. Such alone is the kind
Of information respecting past rncs which can be Of
ssrviee to the citizen for he regulation Of luis conduct
be called Descriptive Sociology And the highest Office
which the historian discharge is that Of narrot
Ing the lives Of nations as to furnish materials for
Comparative Sociology, and for the subsequent deter
mnation Of the ultimate laws to which social pheno-
teua conform.
That which Mr. Spencer here briefly indicated
We have now before US in Sociological History
OF England Under headings almost identical
with those which he then named stand the array
Of historical facts corresponding to them, drawn
from all sources, and from the best authorities in
the language. The rise and decline OF customs
is shown in the columns OF these tables as never
before in history. He who runs may read them.
They are distorted to subserve the interests Of
no creed OF party they are suppressed to palG-
ate no Kipgly misr11le, or exaggerated by no
admirer of the Divine right Of Kings. Thoy
are the facts, pure aud simple.
Taking now the formula OF evolution, which
is "a change from an indefinite, incohetent
homogeueity, to definite. coherent heterogene--
ity through continuous differentiations and
integrntions," let us briefly examine it in the
light of these tables.
From composition Of numerous indepeud-
cnt tribes. frequently at VAR and rarely uniting
against common foe, we come gradually to
fcnse. with common religion, and tendency
to assimilation Of laws. usage. and local ad-
minietrationR. The gradual differentiation into
the civil and ecclesiastical branches followed
the exercise Of their functions BY tho same per
son. Slowly came increasing notifications, until
at last the civil power has -eached complex
and heterogeneous system of local and general
laws, with their divisions into Executive, Judi
cial, and Legislative; and the ecclesiastical
rower is divided into q higher organized and
I'll. 1.-I r. rf
creeds, and with minute differences Of opinion,
each modifying and influencing the other.
From the use Of rings'of brouzo and iron for
money, md etate Of barter, slowly tho processes
OF modern political economy hare arisen. Tic
business OF exchange has passed through the
hands Of private coinors to be the solo atfair OF
government; the transactions in bills Of e1-
change has passed from the lands Of merchants,
first to private bankers, and thence also to in
corporated Institutions. The receiving Of de-
posits, at first confined to the handling OF the
rents OF noblemen's estates by the goldsmith,
has grown into that OF tha banking system.
which, in its development, has absorbed all the
powers Of the exchange Of wealth Which III rep
resented z:. by circulating medium whether
From villages which were mere circles OF huts.
followed ont OF hills, towns arose of stone and
wooden buildings, sometimes defended BY
wall or ditch. The hab:tation of the chieftain
c0n6l6Le0 OF q SGT Oh uQlluIuye lluPtIlectsf Cuu-
nected rarely were they OF more than one
story, with no chimney, and ,mperfectly closed
and lighted. Further On, the residences were
castles in efect.-the windows looking inward
upon courtyard and now followed inter-
communication between the apartments IN large
buildings. Gradually the defensive character
changed. characterization increased, chimneys
were introduced and, later, m increasing se-
curity and the new architecture gave rise to tho
modern mansion.
The growth Of each social factor is thus
shown. The political, ecclesiastical, and cere-
monia1 organizations, each eubaivided into
numerous elements; the esthetic and moral
sentiment; arts, language, food, clothing, im-
plements, and weapons; the complete history Of
all, can be traced in like manner.
For an explanation OF the conception and pur
pose of these tables and Of their further con-
tinuance to the history OF other civilizations,
the render is referred to the provisional preface
OF AR Spencer, and to the preface Of the present
edition By his American editor, Prof. z. L. YOU
mans It may be mentioned that the scheme
comprises the treatment, in like manner, under
three divisions, Of all known history. namely:
/. Uncivilized Societies 2. Civilized Societies-
extinct or decayea; 8. Civilized Societies-re-
cent or still fonrishing. 51uch OF the work is
we'll advanced toward completion, aud all stu