Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 1.djvu/610

598 varied course of the white stars, and which would be too strong for men—but in the sense of the God who said let there be light, and whose angel spoke in the thunders of Sinai.

It must be understood that I am not putting forward opinions in favor of any religion or of any particular school of philosophy. I am only suggesting the possibility that certain facts have not been duly considered by writers on society who take their inspiration from certain eminent physiologists. I maintain, however, that facts in the history of life, though found in the moral plane, are at least of equal value with inductions made from any order of physical phenomena, human or extra-human. The great activity in pursuing phenomena of society and facts of individual human nature relating to them is unquestionably due to difficulties which compelled men to direct their attention to social problems. It appears to me that efforts to hide or put away this specter—this intellectual taskmaster—when made by men purposing to guide others in such inquiries, must end in barrenness of result. A few years spent in the study of social science, the world still staggering on blindly, then if not a cataclysm, a new literary or scientific craze. Fiddling while the city burns, will be the legend on the medal commemorating the era of sociology, unless sociologists grasp or try to grasp the only realities in the form and substance of society.

What is there in this day which gives assurance that problems of society never before existed, never before were dealt with? It is the superlative egotism of the nineteenth century patronizmg all antecedent ages that assumes no other time could possibly be vexed by social troubles. There have been difficulties always more or less menacing ; the only difference between them and the problems of today is that these are articulated by a greater variety of organs. To a large extent the history of the Roman commonwealth, to the genuine student, is one of such problems. That they are not to be found in greater number and virulence in mediaeval history is, I submit, due to the prevailing