The San Francisco call., 1897-01-03
COMPLETION OF A GREAT WORK.

THE PRINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY. Third
volume. BY Herbert Spencer D. Appleton &
Co, New YORK. Price 81. For sale by William
Doxey, Palace Hotel City.
With the giving to the public of this third
volume of the principles Of Sociology Her
bert Spencer ends the great work of writing
complete synthetic philosophy, which he be-
gan thirty-six years ago. The complete set of
the synthetic philosophy printed in ten
volumes and is one OF the greatest OF literary
achievements. In addition to the continuous
work since 1860 done by the phenomenally
clear-headed and industrious author, the ten
large volumes represent the labors ofa number
| of able assistants, who aided in collecting the
necessary data and IN verifying the statements
made in the books with elaborate care. The
! principles of Sociology alone involved the
/ reading of 500 wo-ks in order to get together
the necessary data. The work is not exactly
| as planned and promised, but while some parts
have been omitted this philosophical library
has been made more complete in ways not
promised, and the author considers that the
promise Of the prospectus has been fully re-
deemed. The important part omitted was to
have treated of progress-linsuistic, intel
/ leetual, moral, esthetie. But these. topics
| were too extensive and complex for an invalid
of 76 10 handle adequately.
The two first parts OF this last volume on &C.
clesias tical institutions and professional insti-
! third part on industrial Institutions is here
/ first given TO the public. 1t discusses twenty
four subjects in the authors usual clear,
authoritative way, and the facts gathered by
him are probably more accurate. comprehen-
siYe and phllos0phically considered than the
student find elsewhere in literature.
Among the opinions and conclusions of this
great philosopher few may be mentioned
OF special interest. He considers compound
capital great factor of modern progress,
and says tnat as a result of limited liability
companies stagnant capital has almost disap-
peared. In the chapter on trades unionism
he demonstrates how the workman by these
interferences with natural competition in
evitably loses in one way what he makes in
another. He says the assumption IS still domi-
nant among trades union people that the
manual workers DO everything and the mental
workers nothing.
He gives the pros and cons of cooperation
| with remarkable fairness and lucidity, and in
/ the conclusion of the whole matter shows
! that he is decidedly in favor OF striving to
overcome the diff culties In the way of making
this fair ideal of general practicability. He
says: 1.-The practicability of such a system de-
pends on character, the best industrial insti-
tutions are possible only with the best men.
The requisite sweet reasonabeness Is not yet
sufficiently prevalent" The main difficulty
in the way of cooperation he thinks is the
getting of honest and skillful management
! Though he believes in cooperation he is de-
cidedly opposed to socialism. "At the same
! time that it is biologically fatal the doctrine of
the socialists is psychologically absurd. 1t
implies an impossible mental structure" He
deems it useless TO hope that selfish men may
| be SO manipulated as to behave unselfshly.