Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/605

 WORLD'S FIRST SOCIOLOGICAL LABORATORY 585

less proportionately important in the practical world than of old, it has become more widely connected with the old than ever — witness the proverbially wide dispersion of Scotsmen over England and the empire, through America, and, indeed,

through the whole world This regional Outlook Tower

is thus itself a regional product ; although its principle is easily adaptable to every region, as that of an encyclopaedia may be used anywhere." We begin, therefore, with our encyclopaedia, not, however, in print, but in graphic form, including not simply organized data, but mutually related facts. In the basement we find the results, not only of the processes carried on above, but also classifications of the arts and sciences, from Aristotle or Bacon to Comte and Spencer, and we incidentally have light thrown on the intellectual development of the presiding genius here. Comte is among the intellectual ancestors of Professor Geddes, as are Le Play and others who have attempted a cor- relation of the facts of life. Here we find an appeal made to students of all the arts and sciences, the floors above being of interest, primarily, to the sociologist. Successive floors give us, in chart, in plan, in photograph and sketch, the whole of Europe, the empire, Scotland, Edinburgh and the immediate neighbor- hood.

We shall find it more profitable to begin a careful inspection of the tower at the very summit, where is situated the camera obscura.

This instrument combines for the sociologist the advantages of the astronomical observatory and the microscopical labora- tory. One sees both near and distant things. One has a wider field of view than can be enjoyed by the naked eye, and at the same time finds more beautiful landscape thrown on the table by the elimination of some of the discordant rays of light. One sees at once with the scientist's and the artist's eye. The great purpose of the camera obscura is to teach right methods of observation, to unite the aesthetic pleasure and artistic appreciation with which observation begins, and which should be habitual before any scientific analysis is entered upon, with the synthetic attitude to which every analysis should