494 SOMATOLOGY 



the hardly discernible differences which give rise to innumerable 

 varied physiognomies, and also because of the enqrinous multipli- 

 cation of different morphological and physiological series of human 

 characters which almost constitute a new category of phenomena, 

 the special study of man presents a singular interest for biology. 



The relationship between human somatology and anatomy 

 combined with physiology in one word, biology ought there- 

 fore, it seems to me, to be free from all obscurity. 



The relationships between anatomy and psychology as well as 

 with sociology are quite analogous, if not quite similar. Perhaps 

 the only difference lies in the fact that, while biology might be 

 slightly reduced if deprived of its phenomena, these phenomena 

 would enrich psychology, and sociological phenomena are, for the 

 greater part, exclusively human. 



Psychology and sociology are fully within the bounds of the 

 science of man. As with human anatomy and physiology, they 

 are equally affiliated with anthropology in so far as they greatly 

 share in the special knowledge of human beings. Strictly speak- 

 ing, human psychology and sociology are distinguished from an- 

 thropology in so far as they deal with the human soul and with 

 human society from the point of view of investigations of the 

 ontological laws. To anthropology belong only those psychological 

 and sociological facts which may be considered as elements of the 

 special knowledge of human beings. In this relation, as with all 

 others, the anthropologist makes a study of characters; that is to 

 say, of differences which are interpreted in the light of the general 

 sciences. 



Although there are no societies other than human societies, there 

 is still, in the study of social phenomena analyzed according to 

 sociological laws, material that is separable from anthropology. 

 Human societies, in fact, possess an organization and functions 

 which permit of their being considered as veritable super-biological 

 organisms endowed with a life and evolution distinguishable from 

 the life and evolution of the elements which compose them. They 

 are none the less human productions. The interdependence which 

 exists among them and the individuals of which they are formed is 

 intimate enough so that the differences in time and space which 

 they present constitute veritable anthropological characters. 



Let it be understood that these distinctions in no way imply 

 a belief in a corresponding partition in nature. There is no need to 

 make numerous divisions, but rather to create order in our methods 

 of investigation and in our knowledge. The two categories of the 

 sciences arise from the logical necessity of taking two different 

 points of view, or, if you will, the study of nature in two directions 

 in order to obtain knowledge according to our needs. Human 



