Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 11.djvu/68

 $2 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

tions without shock or disturbance; new habits, or institutions, adapted to the new life-conditions replace the old habits and insti- tutions which are no longer adapted. This transition from one habit to another is effected under ordinary conditions in society by such peaceful means as public criticism, discussion, the forma- tion of a public opinion, and the selection of individuals to carry out the line of action socially determined upon. But where these normal means of effecting readjustments in the social life are lacking, social habits and institutions become relatively fixed and immobile, and a conservative organization of society results. Now, societies, like individuals, are in danger when their habits for any reason become inflexible. In the world of life, with its constant change and ceaseless struggle, only those organisms can survive which maintain a high degree of flexibility or adapta- bility. It is even so in the world of societies. As Professor Ward says: "When a society makes for itself a procrustean bed, it is simply preparing the way for its own destruction by the on-moving agencies of social dynamics." 3 It is evident, then, that a society whose habits become inflexible for any reason is liable to disaster. That disaster may come in two forms : it may come in the form of conquest or subjugation by a foreign foe ; or it may come in the form of internal disruption or revolu- tion, when the conditions of life have sufficiently changed to make old habits and institutions no longer workable. It is with this latter case that we are concerned.

The conditions under which social habits become inflexible, hard and fast, are many, and I shall attempt no specific enumera- tion of them. In a general way they have already been indicated by saying that the mechanism by which the transition from one social habit to another is effected namely, public criticism, free discussion, public opinion has been destroyed. This has occurred most frequently no doubt, under despotic forms of gov- ernment; and hence the connection in popular thought between tyranny and revolution. Not only absolute monarchies, but aris- tocracies and oligarchies also, have frequently created types of social organization which were relatively inflexible. Despotic


 * Pure Sociology, p. 230.