The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-06

cannot believe that 1t was born felicitously.
Still it has been accepted in many Ian
guages. Nobody bothers much now about
it's shady derivation. possibly because
this is 30 Insignificant part Of all that Is
involved in it. II there is anybody whose
conscience obliges him to remain irrecon-
cilahle upon the point. we suppose that
he avails himself Of the German equivalent.
GeselIscAat s,cissenschdt, which Is not only
legitimate, but Affords In it's singeness
better material suggestion OF the scope
OF this majestic science than the Greek
and Latin do together.
The sociologists have been SO industrious
that they have discouraged one another.
We Judge this from a passage in the pref
ace here: After long investigation along
the old lines became convinced that the
hope OF the sociologist consists in critical
use OF the products Of preceding invests
cations, in an original examination OF
society. II became evident that ira
ditional methods must be abandoned and
new start made by means OF social analy-
sis and synthesis. $50 So vast are the
subjects discussed that often the problems
suggested outnumber the solutions.
We should say 30. As we look back over
our own limited field Of observation, we
remember few problems Of the kind that
have been solved. This synthesis OF two
volumes and OF something like 700 pages
still leaves us with a sense OF vast proper
tons. II there has been a diminution,
we arc hardly allowed to he aware OF it.
On the second page we read THE state
nent that society is leads to the query
rhat It is - : The term society IL ap-
piled to animals as we'll as men. Here
seems to be danger, but some measure
of reinsurance Ia ours as We continue:
This makes it necessary to fix the limits
of the subject matter Of sociology. That
il done by making tho science OF human
so~ieiy cur aim. This excludes what are
called animal societies, such as fiocks OF
birds, herds Of cattle, schools OF fishes.
communities OF ants and hives OF bees.
Sociology as used in this volume lthese
two volumesl is consequently human
science
Promising. But still human society is
vast. Anybody knows it who rides in the
street cars Az we think Of the street cars.
bees, ants and fishes seem hardly a suff1-
Gent elimination. The bulk" Of human
society, its attribute Of size. remains mex
orably in the intention OF the essayist.
He says: Society exists in space az well AZ
in time; and for this reason sociological
Interpretation must include the social
phenomena wherever as well as whenever
found. The spacial conditions of human
association are no less important than the
temporal 1t Is equally Of import that
human society takes up room, and that it
endures.
We have found almost nothing here that
can be contradicted. Turn to page IS,
where 1t is said. Men are alike. and yet
unlike. and what assimilates and diTeren-
tiates them furnishes the conditions for
attracting and associating them" Two
persons may have each two arms and two
legs, IL they are fortunate. And yet at the
same time one may have black eyes and one
blue eyes. The comparatively slight diff
ference not only does not separate them,
bu, it may draw them together, The attrac-
ton is observable, not withstanding a pos
sib!e difference IN sex.
This idea. or some part OF it. IL set forth
In proposition 81 Of Sociology" There
are lOi propositions, or enumerated divi-
sions, in the entire work. Pleasure dreams
we are not at liberty often to permit our
solves, hut we wish that IL was incumbent
upon US to pursue this subject further.