SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. 561 



in its intensity. They are sympathetic, friendly, helpful, and always inter- 

 ested in endeavoring to perfect social relations, to develop the methods of 

 co-operation, to add to the happiness of mankind by improving the forms 

 of social pleasure, to preserve the great social institutions of the family and 

 the state. To this class the entire population turns for help, inspiration, 

 and leadership, for unselfish loyalty and wise enterprise. It includes all 

 who in the true sense of the word are philanthropic, all whose self-sacrifice 

 is directed by sound judgment, all true reformers whose zeal is tempered 

 by common sense and sober patience, and all those who give expression to 

 the ideals and aspirations of the community for a larger and better life." 

 The Pre-eminent Social Class is further discussed in Chapter XII ; and the 

 subsequent chapters, as far as, and including, XIX, describe the processes by 

 which social results in the balancing of interests, establishment of rights, 

 assimilation of characters, and general improvement of social conditions, 

 are realized. The limits which expediency sets to the pursuit of " like- 

 mindedness " are well shown, and the advantage and necessity for social 

 progress of free discussion and wide toleration of individual differences are 

 strongly insisted on. Chapter XX deals with The Early History of 

 Society, and contains the statement that " from an apelike creature, no 

 longer perfectly represented in any existing species, the human race is 

 descended." 



The subject of Democracy is well treated in a special chapter (XXIV). 

 The author is of opinion that, if the natural leaders of society do their 

 duty, they will wield a moral influence that will give a right direction to 

 public policy, and secure the continuous advance of the community in pros- 

 perity and true civilization. The " if " is an important one, but the author 

 has strong hope, in which ail his readers will certainly wish to share, that 

 in the main everything will turn out well. 



The remarks on the State in Chapter XXIII are, as far as they go, judi- 

 cious; but we could have wished that the author, who we are sure desires 

 to make his treatise as practically useful as possible, had dwelt somewhat 

 on the dangers of over- legislation, and had brought into fuller relief than 

 he has done the difference between state action and voluntary enterprise, 

 arising from the fact that the former always involves the element of com- 

 pulsion. We pass a law when we can not get our neighbor to co-operate 

 or agree with us in something, and consequently resolve to compel him. 

 Surely this consideration should suffice to make parsimony the first prin- 

 ciple of legislation. We agree with our author that it is not well to " be- 

 little" the state (page 214), but it is hardly belittling the state to wish to be 

 very sparing in our appeals to it for the exercise of coercive power. 



We miss also in the work before us such a treatment of the family as 

 might have been introduced into it with advantage. The family certainly 

 has an important relation to the individual, and in all civilized countries it 

 is specially recognized by the state. Mr. Spencer, in the chapter of his 

 Study of Sociology entitled Preparation in Psychology, has dwelt on the 

 encroachments of the state on the family; and Mr. Pearson, in his National 

 Life and Character, published half a dozen years ago, sounded a note of 

 alarm on the same subject. What position Professor Giddings would have 

 taken as to the importance of family life and the rights and duties of the 

 family we do not, of course, know; but we are disposed to think he could 

 have increased the usefulness and interest of his book by some discussion 

 vol. liv.— 41 



