Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/563

 REVIEWS 543

division, finally, discusses in detail (i) "The Activity of the Individual Will in Itself" (an sicK) (the problem of the freedom of the will herein discussed); (2) "The Activity of the Social Will in Itself and in Its Relation to the Individual Will," (3) "The Modalities of the Evolu- tion of the Will," (4) "The Principal Phenomena of Human Evolution which Comprehend all Manifestations of the Will " (culture, politics, civilization). The general value of these last divisions consists in the counter-application {Ruckanwendung) of sociology to psychology, ethics, and aesthetics. Especially are the discussions of "social regen- eration" (upon the basis of Weismann's theory of heredity) of great interest (pp. 271-84).

The whole work closes with the propositions: "The theological phase of intellectual evolution socialized society upon the basis of an absolute subjection of the individual. The metaphysical phase raised the individual at the expense of his necessary socialization. On the other hand, it devolves upon the positivistic phase to obtain again the full significance of socialization, in order that individuals may be able to perfect themselves physically, intellectually, and morally. Theological knowledge started from God and ended in uncertainty or in doubt. Metaphysical knowledge started from belief in the infallibility of our reason and ended with pessimism and materialism. Positivistic knowl- edge starts from the natural facts of our ethically demonstrable evolu- tion, and ends with the certainty of our perfection in the system of mutual dependence of all things, which points the way to rise inwardly to a belief in God."

Dr. a. Schaffle.

Elements of Sociology. (A Text-Book for Colleges and Schools.) By F. H. GiDDiNGS, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Sociology in Columbia University. The Macmillan Co., 1898. Pp. x + 353. gi.io. Whatever the sociologists may think of Professor Giddings' view- point or method or conclusions, they cannot afford to neglect any- thing that he writes. They are alike following the true, even if vague, instinct that the rest of social science fails to provide suflBciently for investigation of all the relations which must be explained before the conditions of the conduct of life can be completely understood. If others are closer than Professor Giddings to adequate perception of what sociology involves, none deserve more generous recogni-