Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/817

 COLLECTIVE TELESIS.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY. XII. (Concluding paper.)

THE more we study the facts, phenomena, and laws of the sentient world the more thoroughly do we find them perme- ated with the Idea of utility. Metaphysics asks the question, Why ? pure science asks the question, How ? applied science asks the question, What for? The first inquires after the causes of things, the second inquires after their laws, the third inquires after their uses. The last of these is the stand- point of all feeling beings, while the others are confined to beings endowed with high reasoning or speculative powers. The nature of utility as the term is used in both economics and soci- ology was considered in the fifth paper, and in the ninth paper it was shown that both these sciences are utilitarian in their char- acter, and, indeed, that all science is necessarily so. It is true that pure science takes no account of this fact and pursues truth for its own sake, but as there shown, the "chief defense of this method has always rested on the essential utility of all truth, and although the sciences differ widely in this respect, still it is true that every pure science has or may have its applied stage, and although sociology can perhaps afford to wait a long time yet before it attempts to justify its existence by showing what it exists for, still, sooner or later, this attempt will be made In view of the fact that its claim to the qualities of a true science has been widely disputed, there is the more reason for it to justify that claim as early as possible, and the true test of a science is the application of its principles to some useful purpose.

The subdivision of systematic knowledge into a plurality of sciences is based on the existence of as many so-called forces,

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