Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/439

 REVIEWS 423

It is clear that Professor Blackmar proposed to write a book which would give a general view of both the theoretical and prac- tical aspects of the science, and to make prominent the chief ideas of sociological writers to date.

Viewed in this light, the book is a success. It opens up the whole field of sociology, and, while keeping himself modestly in the back- ground, the author attempts to give a fair and explicit presentation of the ideas of others.

The book has seven subdivisions : ( I ) " Nature and Import of Sociology;" (2) "Social Evolution;" (3) "Socialization and Social Control;" (4) "Social Ideals;" (5) "Social Pathology," dealing with practical subjects such as charity, poverty, crime, social degeneration; (6) "Methods of Investigation;" (7) "History of Sociology." It brings out the general views found in the works of Spencer, Gumplowicz, Schaefifle, Lilienfeld, Mackenzie, Tarde, Le Bon, Letourneau, De Greef, Giddings, Small, Ward, Ross, Ely, Mill, Malthus, Warner, Henderson, etc.

The chief merit of the book from the theoretical side is that it gives an intelligent statement of the view-points of all the leading sociological writers. The chief merit from the practical side is that it touches upon a variety of vital and interesting problems in such a way as to tempt the student to go forward and specialize.

While it is not often easy to grasp the central idea and chief merit of a book, it is always easy to point out defects. The vast field which every book must leave uncovered gives the critic a wide range for fault-finding. In the present case the reviewer ventures to sug- gest that the book would have been stronger if it devoted more careful attention to Comte and Spencer. An outline of Comte's Positive Philosophy, and especially of his fine study of the evolu- tion of society, would have added a few very valuable pages. More details might have been given showing Spencer's conclusions as to origins and as to the general laws governing the evolution of indus- try, the family, religion, etc. And some statement of the factors of society, such as Spencer gives in his first volume of Principles of Sociology, would have helped to indicate to the student the sources from which social laws are to be derived. The space devoted to Le Play does not seem proportionate to his contribution to sociology, as the whole modern habit of investigating actual conditions is largely the result of Le Play's example. In the discussion of crime some mention might have been made of Lombroso and the Positive