EDITOR'S TABLE. 



125 



contrast between Bishop Harris's address 

 and the thesis of a Cornell student on the 

 sanitary condition of Ithaca. I conclude 

 mine by saying that, if you will favor the 

 University of Michigan with a visit, the Li- 

 brarian, I doubt not, will take great plea- 



sure in showing you a cartload of theses of 

 the very kind you so justly admire. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



C. K. Adams. 



University of Michigan, [_ 

 Ann Akbob, Sejjtember 15, 18S0. ) 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



POLITICAL SCIENCE. 

 'TTTE commence this montli the pub- 

 V V lication of an important series of 

 articles on " The Development of Politi- 

 cal Institutions" from the highest living 

 authority on the subject of tlie science 

 of society. By the science of society is 

 meant such a systematic exposition of 

 the facts and relations of social phe- 

 nomena as shall bring out the natural 

 laws of social change and transforma- 

 tion. The doctrine of evolution com- 

 pels the study of society from a scientific 

 point of view. Based upon the dynami- 

 cal view of nature, the principle of con- 

 tinuity, and the immutable operation of 

 cause and effect, it brings out the natu- 

 ral laws by which the course of society 

 is governed in all its stages of progress 

 and decline. The political element in 

 society is but a part though an impor- 

 tant part of a great complex organism, 

 but it has had its laws of growth like 

 all other parts of the organization. But, 

 if such determinable laws of political 

 change exist, it is desirable that they 

 should be traced out and formulated. 

 The discussion, therefore, now entered 

 upon, we need hardly say, is of great 

 theoretical and practical moment, be- 

 cause a knowledge of the principles by 

 which political institutions originated 

 and have grown up and are still ad- 

 vancing must become in future the basis 

 of all intelligent political action. Social 

 science thus elucidated will yet consti- 

 tute the true foundation of the art of 

 politics, or the practical carrying on of 

 governmental operations ; though there 

 is as yet in the public mind but little 

 preparation for this mode of regard- 

 ing social questions. Familiar as we 



are with the highly developed results 

 of long social unfolding, it is not easy 

 to go back into the dim obscurities of 

 social embryology. This, however, is 

 indispensable if we are to gain any ade- 

 quate understanding of the method of 

 social development. Mr, Spencer has 

 elsewhere dealt very fully with the im- 

 pediments to the study of social evolu- 

 tion, and in the preliminary paper here- 

 with printed he calls attention to some of 

 the difficulties to be met in the political 

 study of evolution. It is always very 

 hard work for the loose and careless 

 thinker to subject himself to the rigor- 

 ous requirements of thorough scientific 

 study ; but the task becomes still more 

 serious when to lax habits of thinking 

 there are added those prejudices and 

 gross errors to whicli men so passion- 

 ately cling in the sphere of political 

 thought. Yet these obstacles will be 

 overcome as people are slowly educated 

 to a better appreciation of the scien- 

 tific spirit and the scientific method. 



It is desirable to explain that the 

 articles on " The Development of Polit- 

 ical Institutions " that are to appear in 

 the " Monthly " when collected will 

 constitute that portion of Spencer's 

 " Principles of Sociology " which is to 

 be devoted to the evolution of political 

 government. The preceding division 

 on the development of " Ceremonial 

 Institutions " is already published ; and 

 the part now appearing on political in- 

 stitutions will be followed by the cor- 

 responding treatment of ecclesiastical 

 and industrial organizations. These to- 

 gether will form the second volume of 

 the " Principles of Sociology," the sev- 

 enth volume of Spencer's philosophical 



