Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/73

 THE SCOPE OF SOCIOLOGY 59

the sociologist shall hold himself bound to inquire: Do my Resumptions about human associations pay due regard to the BIOS! -UK! llirlx-st that is known about physical law? Thi'. means that every discovery which materially modified our conceptions of the physical universe would necessitate revision of the most orthodox sociology- It means also that sociological theories which depend in any intimate way upon conceptions of physical relationships are answerable in the first instance to physical sci- ence for the validity of their premises.

In the nature of the case sociology is likely to suffer long from assumptions of pseudo-science. Sociologists are no more immune than other laymen against popular scientific error. They are no more sure than other laymen to know the limits of scientific authority. Hence all sociological theory that is deduced from physical premises is suspicious until higher authority than that of the sociologists has passed upon the assumed scientific data.

A typical schedule of physical laws as rendered by a socio- logical philosopher is that of Gumplowic/. 1 As a literal account of physical reality the schedule is useless, yet it may serve as a general description of certain obvious aspects of natural law. English-speaking sociologists who have no severe training in the rudiments of physical science, and who are not in close touch with competent scientific authorities, are likely for a long time to take their bearings in the: physical world from Herbert Spencer. Whether the authorities at last consign Spencer's "first principles" to the realm of poetry or accept them as sci- ence, they are certain to furnish to a considerable extent the presumptions with which the sociologists will work for some time to come.* The point to be emphasized is that the

1 Grundriu der Sociologie, pp. 62-70, and American translation, pp. 74-82. The

generali/.ations are: (a) the law of causation ; (6) the law of development ;

uity ol development ; (</) the law of periodicity ; (f) the law of complexity; (/)

M. iprocal action of heterogeneous element*; (g) adaptation to an obvious end;

(A) identity of forces ; (*') similarity of events ; f/;l;iwol |,;n.iil< h .m.

Viz.: (a) the indestructibility of matter; (b) the continuity of motion; (f) the persistence of force ; (</) the persistence of relations am- mi- lor. . ., (,-) the ir.m ,i.,nn .. ti</n :uid equivalence "I forces; (/) the rhythm of motion; (u) cvolnlion; (//) the instability of the hoaogmuottf J (I) tht multiplication oi tttcU; (j) segregation ; (/ quilibration, (/) di:.:.oiniion.