CHAPTER X 



SOCIOLOGISTS EMPHASIZING ONE ALL-IMPORTANT 

 FORMULA OR PRINCIPLE 



EVER since the early Greek philosophers endeavored to find some 

 one primal element from which the earth was evolved, there have 

 been thinkers from time to time who have endeavored to find 

 some formula to express, or some principle to explain social 

 changes. Comte, as we have seen, at one time hoped to find such 

 a principle in social phenomena comparable to gravitation in 

 physical, and in his Polity he finds a near approach in Love. 

 Spencer found an all-comprehensive formula in his general law of 

 evolution, and a secondary formula in that of adaptation. With 

 Darwin and especially with the sociological followers of Weis- 

 mann, struggle and selection is all-important. Ratzel, as we have 

 noted, finds the explanation in geographical conditions while the 

 economic determinists, including Marx, find the key in some 

 phase of production or distribution of wealth. 



With our distinct aim to trace the development of the concept 

 of adaptation as the key to social philosophy, we will consider in 

 this chapter the contributions of a few representative writers, 

 each of whom has developed some one principle as all-important 

 for the correct interpretation of social progress. This will help 

 us to understand the factors that make for adaptation. 



In previous chapters besides some of the principles mentioned 

 above we have considered division of labor together with con- 

 sciousness of supplementary difference and constraint as worked out 

 by Durkheim, conflict as developed by Gumplowicz and organic 

 needs or interests as analyzed by Ratzenhofer. In this chapter we 

 will consider briefly Adam Smith as the forerunner of Spencer, 

 Fiske and others in his emphasis on sympathy and of Tarde, 

 Bttgehet and Baldwin in the importance placed on imitation. We 

 will consider Tarde and Baldwin for their development of this 

 concept of imitation as the one all-important method of social 



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