Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/302

 290 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

In this spirit I would cite for illustration, first, the little book, Deniker's The Races of Man. 3 The author states his purpose as follows : " My object .... has been to give .... the essential facts of the twin sciences of anthropology and ethnography." ( Preface). In carrying out this purpose a chapter each is devoted to the following subjects: "Somatic Characters;" "Morpho- logical Characters; " " Physiological Characters; " " Ethnic Char- acters;" "Linguistic Characters;" "Sociological Characters" (a chapter each on " Material Life," " Psychic Life," " Family Life," and " Social Life " ) ; " Classification of Races and Peoples ; " " Races and Peoples of Europe ; " " Races and Peoples of Asia ; " " Races and Peoples of Africa ; " " Races and Peoples of Oceania ; " " Races and Peoples of America."

Without passing judgment upon the expressed or implied correlations in which the author views this material, we may repeat our abstract propositions in terms of the particulars which he schedules. If there be a science or sciences that are content to discover, describe, compare, and classify such details as these, and therewith to let the matter rest, such sciences may be credited with a preserve of their own, from which sociology holds itself uncon- cernedly aloof. With these details, simply as details, or merely as foils reciprocally to display each other as curiosities, sociology has no manner of interest. If the items thus considered are the subject-matter of any science, sociology is not likely to disturb either its possession or its title.

On the other hand, every one of these details has occurred somewhere along in the course of the process in which rudi- mentary men and rudimentary human associations evolve into developed personalities and complex associations. With the whence, and the how, and the why, and the whither of this process soci- ology is supremely concerned. If any of the details in question can be brought into such visible relation with this social process, and in the precise measure in which they can be made to shed light upon the process, they come within the ken of sociology. Thus the most spectacular detail, like a racial peculiarity, or a cere- monial anomaly which remains unaccounted for, may be the chief


 * London, 1900.