4 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



to trace the operation of the law in the inorganic or preorganic world, 

 hut the vastness of the subject forbade this, and Mr. Spencer found it 

 necessary to enter at once upon the organic division of his scheme. In 

 the "Principles of Biology" the subject of life was accordingly com- 

 prehensively dealt with from the Evolution point of view. He then 

 passed to the phenomena of mind, and recast and amplified the "Prin- 

 ciples of Psychology " in accordance with his more matured opinions, 

 placing it upon the ampler basis afforded by " First Principles " and 

 the " Principles of Biology." These three works, forming five volumes 

 of the System of Philosophy, are now published, and they carry him 

 half through the undertaking the "Principles of Sociology," in three 

 volumes, and the "Principles of Morality," in two volumes, remaining 

 yet to be written. Mr. Spencer allowed twenty years for the whole 

 enterprise ; ill health and unforeseen interruptions have occasioned 

 considerable delay, and it was half accomplished in twelve years. 



A further illustration of the comprehensive and thoroughly sys- 

 tematic character of Mr. Spencer's work is afforded by his preparation 

 for the treatment of the subject of Sociology. In dealing with Biology 

 and Psychology, the data for reasoning were readily accessible, but 

 in entering upon the scientific study of so vast and varied a subject as 

 human society a most formidable difficulty appeared at the threshold 

 of the inquiry, in the absence of facts to form the basis of sociological 

 reasoning. So deficient and scattered and contradictory were such 

 data that the possibility of any valid social science has been generally 

 regarded with distrust, or unhesitatingly denied. But the phenomena 

 of society are not chactic ; they coexist and succeed each other in an 

 orderly way. The natural laws of the social state are undoubtedly 

 determinable, but such determination is primarily a question of the 

 collection of materials suitable for broad and safe inductions. Mr. 

 Spencer foresaw this several years ago, and began the collection and 

 methodical arrangement of all those numerous classes of facts pertain- 

 ing to the various forms and states of society which are needed to 

 work out the " Principles of Sociology." This alone was an immense 

 undertaking. The races of mankind were divided into three groups, 

 illustrating existing civilizations, extinct or decayed civilizations, and 

 the savage state. Three corresponding series of works were projected, 

 a tabular method for the classification and arrangement of facts was 

 devised, and three gentlemen were employed to carry out the work of 

 collection and digestion of materials under Mr. Spencer's supervision. 

 The first installments of each of these divisions are now completed, and 

 published. This important work, which is subsidiary to his main en- 

 terprise, is the first of the kind ever attempted, and when finished and 

 issued will form a complete Cyclopaedia of the midtifarious data neces- 

 sary for the scientific investigation of social questions. Its continued 

 publication will depend upon public support ; but the collection has 

 been made by Mr. Spencer for his own use, and it will form the ground- 



