206 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE RELATION OF BIOLOGY TO SOCIOLOGY. 



By Dr. LEWIS G. JANES. 



IN the preface to his recently published volume on Justice, 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer newly emphasizes his conviction of the 

 importance of the bearing of biological laws upon the study of 

 sociological phenomena. Comparing the method of his present 

 w< >rk with that of Social Statics, which covered a similar field 

 of discussion, he asserts that "whereas, a biological origin for 

 ethics was, in Social Statics, only indicated, such origin has now 

 been definitely set forth ; and the elaboration of its consequences 

 has become a cardinal trait." The influence of this conviction is 

 everywhere observable throughout the work. 



It is not the purpose of the present writer, however, to discuss 

 the applications which Mr. Spencer has made of this principle, 

 except incidentally ; but rather to reaffirm its importance, and 

 to call attention to certain inferential dangers which spring from 

 an unqualified acceptance of the conception that there is an en- 

 tire identity of principle between the laws of social and organic 

 growth. 



While it is my firm conviction that Mr. Spencer has in no 

 way exaggerated the importance of recognizing the bearing of 

 biological principles in the study of societary evolution, it* is 

 equally important to guard at the outset against a fundamental 

 though common misapplication of the analogy which would lead 

 to results entirely divergent from the actual trend of social prog- 

 ress, as bearing upon the true scientific relations of the individual 

 to the state. 



On the one hand, it is undoubtedly true that nearly all our 

 writers upon sociological, ethical, and economic topics are insuffi- 

 ciently grounded in a knowledge of the scientific method as re- 

 vealed and illustrated in the physical and biological sciences. 

 Their arguments rest largely upon an a priori and metaphysical 

 basis of reasoning. They treat man as a being dissevered from 

 the world. They fail to recognize the fact, demonstrated by the 

 triumph of the doctrine of evolution, that man is one with the 

 universe ; that he can not be studied apart from his connection 

 with the laws and principles which govern the physical world 

 and the vital activities of the lower organisms. It may not be 

 necessary for the sociologist, moralist, or political economist to 

 be a complete master of physics and biology in all their branches 

 life is too short for such a preparation ; but he should at least 

 be sufficiently acquainted with these sciences to be thoroughly 

 conversant with the scientific method of investigation, the tone 

 and temper of mind requisite in the investigator, and have a 



