Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/190

 1 76 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL .OF SOCIOLOGY

2. It attempts to improve the social environment by accelera- ting the process of social evolution.

3. It tries to test economic and social laws by actual experi- mentation in turning the lives and forces of the community into channels that the students of social science have discovered to be socially ethical.

The ideal toward which society is moving is a perfect life. No one can adequately define this goal, because ethical standards are continually changing. The best that the scientific method can do is to interpret existing social tendencies and forces, and suggest methods and principles of amelioration and acceleration. But these principles and methods cannot be accepted until they have been thoroughly tested. Utopianism, for example, is not ordinarily scientific, because it is not the logical result of exist- ing laws. The only scientific method of helping the process of social evolution is by working from within the social structure. This principle holds in all departments of human activity. The scientific breeder of fine stock, for example, cannot adequately define his goal. He simply tries to discover the traits of char- acter he wishes to perpetuate in his stock, and studies nature's method of reaching this end. He keeps on experimenting, modifying, and perfecting his theories as new facts are brought to light.

Likewise the resident of a social settlement, 'wishing to pre- serve and strengthen certain good traits of character in a neigh- borhood, and to rid the neighborhood of others that are bad, looks to the social sciences for suggestions that will help him discover the forces that have worked in the lives of his neigh- bors. He then tries to apply these suggestions so as to per- petuate the traits that will raise the standard of life and morals in the neighborhood. Then as he gathers new facts and experi- ences he modifies his methods accordingly. Miss Jane Addams, in an address at the opening reception of Chicago Commons, warned us not to be alarmed if we found our ethical standards broadening as we became better acquainted with the real facts of the lives of our neighbors. This warning was true prophecy.