New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-27

soon appear are totally disconnected iIom hi' SIo
GERS syste of doctrine, and not word can "e iou"o
in them that gives any clew to his social 'iews' lucy
are equally valuable for all students Of social affairs
and must he indispensable to every one VINO III iu-
ture PROPOSES TO treat of social science.
The other and main line of Mr.. Spencers prepare
ton for dealing with social questions was more
strictly scientific and consisted In unfolding those
principles of the sciences which are needed Tor the
understanding of social phenomena. In flrst
Principlesr he laid down his method of nyestga-
ton aud in the Principles of Biology and the
principles Of Psychology" he has worked out those
general laws of Life and of Mind which are neediui
to the Interpretation of the social natures and rea-
tons of men, II is on this double foundation of de-
scriptive social facts, and the scientific analysis OF
the social elements, that the author has now COM
menced building the superstructure of a rational
sociology
Mr. Spencer's method as is we'll known, is that of
evolution This doctrine he has been among the
foremost to elucdate, and whatever value may be
ultimately assigned to it, il is at present, confessed
ly, tho master key of philosophical research. How
things have to be they are, how one state OF
things leads TO another, and by what laws phe-
nomena emerge, continue and disappear, are the
questions now applied to all the appearances of ma
ture. But whether the hypothesis of universal evo-
luton win hold not, its point of view is the only
one that can be taken for the scientific study OF so
ciety The vague conception of progress in human
affairs from lower to q higher state has long been
current as a common belief; that conception has
be analy Sed, resolved into its elements and
causes and traced in it's operations and effects while
it cannot be doubted that its resolution will yield
proounder insight into the nature of the social state.
How has human society come TO be what 1t Is, In
what do its higher and lower grades differ, what are
the primary impulses of social movement, what are
the of arrest in and of relative adj
vaneernent in Others how far societies modified
by surrounding circumstances and the physical, in
tellectual and emotional natures of men, and what
are the laws of growth, of beliefs, feelings and
habits which affect the social state i-these, and
other kindred questions regarding the gradual un-
folding of society it is the duty of the science
to answer, and the collective answers will consti
tute q general theory of social development.
In the two installments of the principles of
Sociology" now published Mr.. Spencer has entered
this broad field of inquiry. The method of treat
ment adopted in the Biology and Psychology
is here continued which is to organize and present
the comprehensive data of the subject before proceed
ing TO the establishment of its inductons. The FIRST
part treats of the external factors Of the social state
that is the conditions of surrounding nature by
which social evolution is helped or hindered. The
internal factors by which society is determined that
is the varying natures of primitive men, ply sica
emotional and intellectual, then taken up and
they by far the most important, they receive the
largest share of attention. Part H. opens the inter
ostng field of primitive ideas, and the genesis of
supersttions and of various gous beliefs is traced
out with great clearness and effect.
1t thus appears that Mr.. Spencer has set to himself
no holiday task. One of the radical conceptions of
that Evolution which he makes the basis Of social
philosophy is that of slow notifications through vast
periods of time. The great antiquity Of man upon
the earth is now generally conceded, 80 that the
primal state of social conference is pushed back and
lost in distant obscurity. But how are to
rive ut any Just conception of that primitive social
state. We have still plenty of examples of low forms
of society, and these afford proper field of induc-
tom but this aspect of the is at once compli
Gated with the question whether these low conditions
of society de0eneratons from previous higher
conditions; for it is a total misconcepton of Eyolu
ton that implies unbroken of progression
through gradually ascending stages. Certainly in
duction cannot DO relied upon TO explain the initial
processes by which crude societies first came into
existence. Our knowledge must here consist of
deductions from known biological and psychological
principles which throw light upon the primordial
genesis of ideas, boliefs, and feelings that affected
the conduct Of primitive men, and thus co!Ored and
influenced their social relations The following pas
show how Mr. Spencer deals with this aspect of the
subject and clear away certain false impressions
that prevail regarding the application of the doctrine
of Evolution to social questions.
To determine what conceptions are truly primitive,
would be easy II W. hid of truly primitive
But there sandry reasons for sspectng that existing
men OF the lowest types, forming social groups OF the
simplest kinds, do not exempiiy men they originally
Probably most of them, not all OF them had an
in higher states and among their beliefs remain
which evolved during those higher states.
While degradation-thcory currently held is untcn
able the theory of progressOn taken in las unqualified
form, to me untenable also II, on the hand
the notion that savagery Is caused by lapse from cvlza-
ton is rreconoaoo with the evidence therr is on The
other hand inadequate warrant for the notion that the
lowest savagcry has always been as low as II now 1t
IL quite possible, and believe, highly probable that
| PROGRESSION has bern as frequent as progression.
Evolution is commonly conceived 10 imply In every
thing an Intrinsic tendency to become something hgher
but this erroneous conception OF it, in all cases il
Is determined the cooperation of inner and
tors This cooperation works changes until there is
reached equilibrium between the en- yironng actions
aud the actions which the aggregate opposes them
complete equilibrium If The aggregate ID without
life, and a moving equilibrium il Che aggregate is lv
Ing IhercupOn evolution, continuing t. snow itself
only IN the progressing that ends in ridy,
practically ceases II the of the living aglre,
gales forming species, the enyirOnng actions
| main constant from generation 10 generation, the
species remains constant If the cnvfronng actions
change the species changes until II re quilbras itself
in the species constitutes a step in evolution Usually
neither advance recession results; and fen, GER
tain previously acquired structures bong rendered SUI
psriuOus, there results a simpler form. Only and
then docs the envoning change initiate in organism
new complication and so hat higher tyne
Hence the truth that while for unreasonable periods
types have neither advanced reccded and while
in other types there has been further evolution
many typos IN which TetrogrossiOn has happened. do
moi refer merely to such facts that the etraDIancate
CophalOpods, multitudnous ia their kinds
dium-sized representatives TO such the
highest orders OF reptiles the Prosaura and Daoso,
and gigantic in size, have become extinct, while lower
orders OF reptiles nave survved or 10 such facts that