THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 

 MONTHLY. 



FEBRUARY, 1881. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL mSTITUTIONS. 



By HEKBEKT SPENCER. 

 IV. POLITICAL DIFFERENTIATIOIir. 



THE general law, that like units exposed to like forces tend to in- 

 tegrate, was in the last chapter exemplified by the formation of 

 social groups. The clustering of men who are similar in kind, when 

 similarly subject to hostile actions from Avithout, and similarly react- 

 ing against them, we saw to be the first step in social evolution. Here 

 the correlative general law, that in proportion as the like units of an 

 aggregate are exposed to unlike forces they tend to form differentiated 

 parts of the aggregate, has to be observed in its application to such 

 groups, as the second step in social evolution. 



The primary political differentiation originates from the primary 

 family differentiation. Men and women being, by the unlikenesses of 

 their functions in life, exposed to tinlike influences, begin from the 

 first to assume unlike positions in the social group as they do in the 

 family group : very early they respectively form the two political 

 classes of rulers and ruled. And, how truly such dissimilarity of social 

 positions as arises between them is caused by dissimilarity in their 

 relations to surrounding actions, we shall see, on observing that the one 

 is small or great according as the other is small or great. When treat- 

 ing of the status of women, it was pointed out that to a considerable 

 degree among the Chippewas, and to a still greater degree among 

 the Clatsops and Chinooks, " who live upon fish and roots, which the 

 women are equally expert with the men in procuring, the former have 

 a rank and influence very rarely foixnd among Indians." We saw also 

 that in Cueba, where the women join the men in war, " fighting by 

 their side," their position is much higher than usual among rude peo- 

 voL. XVIII. 28 



