Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/427

 REVIEIVS 407

"All journeys and all voyages must start from home." "The right method is to proceed from the present to the past." Not only is the past to be learned by starting from the present, but the future must be predicted in the same way. "The order we know must have in itself the germs of the coming order, since life cannot arise out of nothing."

In treating of the physical basis of society, the author has avoided the error of making nature everything. The child becomes acquainted with humanity before he becomes acquainted with what we call nature. Nature has value and meaning only as it comes into con- tact with humanity. In the discussion of the social person, an impor- tant truth is well stated : " There is no social mental experience outside of individuals. There is no social brain or consciousness apart from the separate brains and inner lives of the millions of indi- viduals who compose the race." The social institutions are presented in the natural order — the home, the family, and later the auxiliary institutions. The discussion of the social arts, both the useful and the fine, and the treatment of industrial organizations have especial practical value, not only for teachers, but for all workers in the social field.

The chapter on the tendency toward " Economic Betterment" gives a mass of most interesting matter, which appears to justify the position of Dr. Henderson, although he evidently anticipates a questioning of the correctness of his assumptions. It is true, or seems to be, that "The great majority of the population of civilized lands have made progress in the possession and enjoyment of the resources of the best existence." To teachers the discussions of topics relating to " Econom- ical Betterment" are of the very highest value. The extent of meaning attached to the idea of "social movement" will naturally incite careful thinking. It is doubtless true, though not generally accepted, that " It is not increasing poverty and depressing pauperism and desperate misery which incite social unrest and discontent, so much as it is the taste of better means of living. The poor are not growing poorer, but richer," etc. To both the parent and the teacher the following conclu- sion in the chapter on social misery presents food for thought : " The most encouraging and necessary effort is that directed to the proper education of wayward youth. Prevention is the true policy of nations. .... Education, mental, moral, and spiritual, is the chief means of restoring the wanderer, and it is the only way of turning childhood and youth from the downward path to ruin."

Space permits only a brief reference to the chapters on " The