HISTORICAL METHOD. 527 



But whatever decision competent judges may pronounce 

 on the results arrived at by any individual inquirer, the method 

 now characterized is that by which the derivative laws of 

 social order and of social progress must be sought. By its aid 

 we may hereafter succeed not only in looking far forward into 

 the future history of the human race, but in determining what 

 artificial means may be used, and to what extent, to accelerate 

 the natural progress in so far as it is beneficial ; to compensate 

 for whatever may be its inherent inconveniences or disadvan- 

 tages ; and to guard against the dangers or accidents to which 

 our species is exposed from the necessary incidents of its pro- 

 gression. Such practical instructions, founded on the highest 

 branch of speculative sociology, will form the noblest and 

 most beneficial portion of the Political Art. 



That of this science and art even the foundations are but 

 beginning to be laid, is sufficiently evident. But the superior 



believe that rain and sunshine, famine and pestilence, victory and defeat, death 

 and life, are issues which the Creator does not leave to the operation of his 

 general laws, but reserves to be decided by express acts of volition. M. Comte's 

 theory is the negation of this doctrine. 



Dr. Whewell equally misunderstands M. Comte's doctrine respecting the 

 second, or metaphysical stage of speculation. M. Cointe did not mean that 

 " discussions concerning ideas'* are limited to an early stage of inquiry, and 

 cease when science enters into the positive stage. (Philosophy of Discovery, 

 pp. 226 et seq.) In all M. Comte's speculations as much stress is laid on the 

 process of clearing up our conceptions, as on the ascertainment of facts. When 

 M. Comte speaks of the metaphysical stage of speculation, he means the stage 

 in which men speak of "Nature" and other abstractions as if they were active 

 forces, producing effects ; when Nature is said to do this, or forbid that ; when 

 Nature's horror of a vacuum, Nature's non-admission of a break, Nature's 

 vis medicatrix, were offered as explanations of phenomena ; when the qualities 

 of things were mistaken for real entities dwelling in the things ; when the phe- 

 nomena of living bodies were thought to be accounted for by being referred to a 

 "vital force ;" when, in short, the abstract names of phenomena were mistaken 

 for the causes of their existence. In this sense of the word it cannot be reason- 

 ably denied that the metaphysical explanation of phenomena, equally with the 

 theological, gives way before the advance of real science. 



That the final, or positive stage, as conceived by M. Comte, has been equally 

 misunderstood, and that, notwithstanding some expressions open to just criti- 

 cism, M. Comte never dreamed of denying the legitimacy of inquiry into all 

 causes which are accessible to human investigation, I have pointed out in a 

 former place. 



