Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/804

. SOCIAL ASSIMILATION.

PART I. PRINCIPLES. I. DEFINITION AND ORIGIN.

WRITERS on historical and social science are just beginning to turn their attention to the large subject of social assimilation. The impulse given to thought along this new line is mainly due to the influence of Ludwig Gumplowicz, who makes assimilation the most important social fact and considers it the cause of all advance in civilization. To him the struggle of races is the supreme law of social life, and the resulting "cross-fertilizations of culture" 1 the cause of progress. 2 This is the thesis of all his writings, and the masterly way in which he handles his theme has opened up a vast new field for the coming sociologist. Of hardly less importance in this regard is the work of Gustav Ratzen- hofer, 3 and already through the combined efforts of these two the ground has been thoroughly cultivated and stands ready for planting. The Russian sociologist Novicow also recognizes the importance which the fact of assimilation is to take in all soci- ological theory, for he prophesies that in the future treatises on assimilation will form vast libraries, such as today are made by the treatises on strategy, tactics, or law. 4

That the subject has until recently received little attention is readily seen by a mere glance at the works of our leading

1 E. A. Ross, Social Control, p. 339. New York : The Macmillan Co., 1901.

Menschheit ein fortwahrender Amalgamirungsprozess hindurchzieht, der, von den kleinsten primitiven syngenetischen Gruppen ausgehend, nach irgend einem uns unbekannten rassebildenden Gesetz die kleinen heterogenen Gruppen immer mehr zu grossen Gesammtheiten, zu Volkern, Nationen und Rassen zusammenschliesst und amalgamirt und sie immer gegen andere ebenso zusammengeschlossene und amal- gamirte Volker, Nationen und Rassen in den Kampf und durch denselben zu immer neuen Herrschafts- und Culturgebieten fuhrt, die wieder das Heterogene zusammen- schmelzen und amalgamiren."
 * GUMPLOWICZ, Der Rassenkampf, p. 254 : " Durch die ganze Geschichte der


 * Die sociologische Erkenntnis. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1898.


 * NoviCOW, Les Luttes entre Sociites kumaines, p. 128.

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