CHAPTEK XXIII. 



THE NEAR FUTURE. 



846. STRICTLY speaking, the last two Chapters should 

 not be included in an account of Industrial Institutions, 

 since the one treats of institutions which are at present 

 merely tentative, and the other of projected institutions. 

 But Cooperation and Socialism fill so large a space in the 

 public mind, that passing them by in silence seemed im 

 practicable. 



Here it seems impracticable to pass by in silence certain 

 questions still further outside the subject of industrial evolu 

 tion as at present known to us questions concerning its 

 future. It may fairly be said that the study of sociology is 

 useless if, from an account of what has been, we cannot 

 infer what is to be that there is no such thing as a science 

 of society unless its generalizations concerning past days 

 yield enlightenment to our thoughts concerning days to 

 come, and consequent guidance to our acts. So that, will 

 ingly as I would have avoided the making of forecasts, there 

 is for me no defensible alternative. 



Existing factors are so numerous and conflicting, and the 

 emergence of new factors, not in any way to be anticipated, 

 so probable, as to make all speculation hazardous, and to 

 make valueless all conclusions save those of the most general 

 kind. Development of the arts of life, consequent on the 

 advance of science, which has already in so many ways pro 

 foundly affected social organization (instance the factory- 

 system), is likely hereafter to affect it as profoundly or more 



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