Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/168

 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

the immediately pressing questions of national finance. As

scholars, on the other hand, students of society, whatever their

lal name, are bound to see and to show that these best things

of limited avail, and that in the long run the kind of intelli-

e which can bring about wise adjustments to new conditions

is more serviceable and reliable than mere zeal for expedients,

>n who in the slightest degree shares the privilege and the
 * hesc may serve at best only a temporary purpose. Every

onsibility of forming public opinion ought to feel bound to have beliefs on all the subjects upon which public opinion must He ought to use every available means to provide himself with respectable beliefs, and he ought to exert himself to make them influential. At the same time, if the good citizen happens to be a scholar, he will satisfy the sociologists' ideas of scholarly balance only when he holds these beliefs at a true proportional valuation in the scale of knowledge. The student of society

lit to have enough decision of character to commit himself both in thought and action on such subjects as the tariff, the currency, internal taxation, public policy towards monopolies, and the demands of the numberless "interests" that seek legisla- tive help. The wise student of society will at the same time, even in his most sanguine moods, steady himself with the reflection that the best of his beliefs and programmes about cur- rent "issues" are of subordinate importance after all. It makes relatively little difference what we think about specific cases. They may be exceptional and temporary. Our views about them may become obsolete at any moment through change of circum- stances. It makes a great deal of difference whether we are intelligent about abiding relationships. Very much depends upon our general outlook upon society; upon our spirit about life, upon insight into permanent elements of human character and conditions. Our personal equation in these respects will make us forces for evil or good, for progress or regress, in spite of changed circumstances. Ralph Waldo Emerson was far from ideal success in combining these two elements of social fitness. He v niich a citizen of the timeless world that he seemed