The Study of Sociology

Abstract

THERE are not a few signs, of which the book before us is an important one, that thought is moving in the direction indicated by Mr. Mill in the quasi-prophetical conclusion to his “System of Logic,” where he expresses his belief in the prominence of sociological inquiries in the intellectual achievements of the next two or three generations of European thinkers. What has been called by Hegel the speculative historical method has taken a considerable step in advance since Mr. Mill wrote thus. History, written from the speculative or philosophical stand-point, may be regarded as a special Sociology—Sociology, that is, applied to the investigation of the laws of growth and development of some one society, as exhibited either throughout its whole career, or within some limited period. General Sociology stands to history in a position analogous to that occupied by general physiology with regard to the special physiology of man or of any other species of animal. This analogy will serve to throw some light upon the fact that there has been much greater progress made in the special department of speculative history than in the wider field of Sociology. Up to a certain point, the broader generalisations of the higher science must be preceded by the more restricted generalisations of the lower. But when this point has been reached, when the higher principles have been formulated with approximate completeness, then the advances along the lines of general and special thought will proceed pari passu; progess in one will by its reflex influence make possible a correlative progress in the other. The relations between Sociology and history appear to be nearing this stage.

The Study of Sociology.

By Herbert Spencer. (London: Henry S. King and Co.)