The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-20
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING. JUNE 20. 1874
Recent Publications.

The STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. By Herbert Spencer.
Published by ID. Appleton & Co. New York. For
sale by Bailey & Noyes. - s,-.t .
The contents OF this volume, written at the
sohcltation of Professor Youmans, and
FORMING one of his International Scien-
tinc series, first appeared, simultaneously, in
the Popular Science Monthly in this country,
and in the Contemporary Review. ,''
OF the sixteen chapters, into which it is
divided, nine are given to detail of the diff
culties which surround the study of Sociolo-
gy--the first three chapters having already
discussed "Our Need of it''---'1s there So
cial Scierce?'t and ''Its Nature;;' while the
last three set forth 'What Discipline is need
fup'--"What Preparation in Biology" and Gin
Psychology" "-and an interesting Conclusion
reviews the ground over which the reader
has been taken giving the reasons found I'M
peratiye for so doing. .-.,........
Having certain completeness in itself this
volume is, by intention, still more prelimi-
nary to the forthcoming principles of Soci-
ology," the author having gladly availed him
self of the offered opportunity to say much
that would be out of place in his Philosophic
System. Especially does he impress his read
er with an appreciation Of the immense labor
to be undergone in gathering, with time, and
space only for limits, the facts from which
principles are to be adduced before founda-
tion may be laid for the certainties of Science,
The conditions necessary for the student are
indeed appalling, since he must not only un-
dergo thorough drill in sciences, but also be
diyested Of all '.bias of education"---of spa
triotism''-of cass-and of ''creed"-neither
may he, in some cases, have any "anti-bias;'
and, still farther than this, he must look only
to effects. eventually" produced Eventually
being long word to unroll, as, even, or es-
pecialy, the evolutionist should know, and
hardly yet to be spoken in connection with
the first false move in Paradise.) By all these
steps does the writer lead up to the coRclu-
sion for which we are all too ready that
''there are immense obstacles to Social Sci
ence." ,, t.....,.i ...... ....,f B
We are of course prepared for his defni
ton of the study Of Sociology as "the study Of
Evolution in It's most complex FORM" and
for the statement that .'it is clear that to the
! one who considers the facts societies exhibit
as having had their origin in supernatural in
Propositions or in the wills Of individual ruling
men, the study of these scts VIII nave an as
pect wholly unlike that which y mas ~ on'
who con templates them as generated u, p'o-
cesses OF development continuing through
centuries''-that he also considers as dis
proved the "great'man theory" and that the
ireat-Father theory might almost be east
aside too, since he classes Mr.. Gladstone with
the Anti-Scientifics in '.his conceptions that
any explanation of nature IL i'm religious which
dispenses with immediate divine superjn-
tendence;' accusing him of "overlooking the,
fact that the doctrine of gravitation is open
to the same charge.", Possibly MI. Glad
stone may have had in mind that though a
sparrow falleth to the ground-by gravitaaion
1t IS not without the Father. Nevertheless
Mr. spencer Is inclined to tolerate the relig-
ious phase as being, perhaps, the necessary
chrysals stage while the.outer elements are
adjusting themselves for the coming pure
scientist; and comedies "that in our day one
in Mr.. Gladstone's position should think as
ne does, seems to me very desirable. That
we should have for our working-king one in
whom apurely-scientific conception of things
had become dominant, and who was thus out
OF harmony with our present social state,
would probably be detrimental, and might be
disastrous" We trust that Mr.. Gladstone
will avail himself of this gracious permission
to live, not only on his own behalf, but also,
as he represents large and enlightened
class believing in "a divine presence
who created for development, and who
as "Father worketh hitherto" a faith
which is grounded on facts of experience no
less sure than those to be built upon By the
pure-scientist, but whose statistics are not of
anature to force unwilling recognition. Mr..
Spencer is at least consistent when he goes
on to deride the application Of "mutually-de-
structive ideas'', as on occasion Of the recov-
cry Of the Prince of Wales from fever the
event was "conmemorated by Thanksgiving
to God and baronetey TO the doctor."' Evil
IDENTIFY he considers the baronetcy the better
bestowed. -'3ll-tL a. L4 HSf IHA
1t is perhaps difficult for any one brought
up with "an educational bias toward revealed
religion, to do quite justice to Iall the keen
good sense and passages of real beauty or of
practical utility that are frequently to be
found in this volume--so untrust worthy does
the testimony seem of one who is peristently-
to quote again-"thus leaving out Providence
as a factor" In justice therefore we select a
fine thought from his conclusion:
o'Lisht, falling upon crystal, is capable of
altering its molecular arrangements, but it
can do this only by a repetition of impulses
almost innumerable: before unit Of ponder
able matter can have its rythmical move
ments so increased by successive etherical
waves, az to be detached from its combina-
ton and arranged in another way, millions Of
such ethereal waves must successfully make
in6nitesimal additions to its motion. Similar
ly, before there arise in human nature and
human institutions, changes having that per-
manence which makes them an acquired in
heritance for the human race, there must 60
innumerable occurrences of the thoughts, ,and
feelings and actions conducive to such
changes" .....l ...... ....-. ...r
BEATEN Paths OR A woMAs's VACATION. By
Ella W. Thompson. Boston, Lee s. Shepard. For
sale by Loring Short q Harmon.
Beaten Paths is pleasantly written little
book, containing the history of a summers
tour through Europe, made by seven women,
who were desirous of showing the world that
a masculine escort to free and independent
females is something entirely absurd and use
less. The book is remarkably chatty and
will be found particularly interesting to wo-
men on account of its minute descriptions of
dress and personal habits. The one objec-
tionable feature of the book is an incessant
complaining comparison between men and
women, of course to the vast dispar,gement
Of the former; and in a ptiful attempt to
prove that under every circumstance woman,
instead of being a woman as God has made
her, is but higher and nobler form Of man.
Books Received.
The l. OF Of CONNIE odore RoIIinxpin: His
adventures afloat and ashore. By John H. Carter.