OF SOCIETY. 589 



Although the tendency of this Eeview is not religious 

 in the older sense of the term, many of its contributors 

 have latterly given great attention to the subject of re- 

 ligion, recognising that it is impossible to extinguish 

 altogether the religious instinct, and aiming at the 

 elaboration of a reasoned creed in harmony with the 

 results of recent scientific and historical research. It is 

 noteworthy that among these are not only professedly 

 independent thinkers but also members of the Eoman 

 Catholic Church. 



But in all the three countries the problem upon 

 which philosophical thought seems to concentrate itself 

 most is the social problem, though, for reasons just 

 mentioned, the position of thinkers differs materially 

 in the three countries ; so much so that sociology 

 exhibits in each country a well - marked national 

 character. The most philosophical, if not abstract, 

 treatment of the problem is to be found in Germany, 

 where the greatest skill and ingenuity, with the assist- 

 ance of science, criticism, and erudition, is directed to 

 laying the foundations of a science of society, starting 

 with an adequate and comprehensive definition of the 

 conception of society. To the labours in this field of 

 research, both logical and historical, the great work of 

 Prof. Ludwig Stein gives ample testimony, but also to 

 the fact that little agreement exists on the different 

 separate questions into which the larger problem can be 

 divided. 



In England and France the social problem is treated 

 more in connection with actual practical demands of the 

 day. These are, in England, pre-eminently economical, 



