Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/715

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society), and leads to neglect of the other object, the human type, it is advisable to call the scientific treatment of history 'philosophy of history,' a name with a much older historical claim than sociology " (p. 10). "There is but onf science of the fortunes of the human species, call it sociology, or the philosophy of society, or, as we have decided for ourselves, philosophy of history " (p. 12).

It is fortunately dawning upon a great many students that there can be " but one science of society," but few are now so bold as to think the time has come to give that one science a perfectly adequate name. The main thing is to be sure that, whatever be the section of the sometime-to-be " one science " in which we are doing our work, our method is fit to make our work tributary to the ultimate result. We ought not to waste much more time about names, unless it is clear that they seriously help or hinder scientific processes. Whether Dr. Earth's work will contain an actual contribution to the " one science" cannot be judged until the second volume appears. The present volume contains some very acute criticism, by no means always valid, however, but it is chiefly a resume of the various sociological theories from Saint-Simon to Kidd. The book will be to many a convenient epitome of the growth of sociology up to date. Dr. Earth discusses first the beginnings of sociology. With summary reference to Plato, Aristotle, the mediaeval and Renaissance philosophers, he virtually credits Saint-Simon with having originated the new way of looking at society for which his pupil presently supplied the name. Barth makes a very successful exhibit of the further dependence of Comte upon his master and rival. The author, nevertheless, calls Comte's " the first sociological system." Barth discusses the successors of Comte under the heads : " The Classifying Sociology " : vi/., E. Littre*,De Roberty, De Greef, Lacombe, and Wagner ; " The Biological Sociology " : Spencer, Lilienfeld, Schaffle, Fouille"e, Worms; " The Dualistic Soci- ology": Ward, Mackenzie, Hauriou, Giddings, and various popular writers. The author adds to his account in each case an estimate of the group discussed.

The second division treat loi ' The One-sided Conceptions of I tory,"/.^., first, the individualistic; second, the anthropological ; third, the ethnological ; fourth, the " cultural ;" fifth, the political ; sixth, the ideological ; seventh, the economical. The third and last division approaches what seems to be the purpose of the author, the proposal of a new philosophy of hi-t I 1 ,< Bril chapter attempts to