THE SOCIAL REFORMER n 



experience of these men and the greater their responsi- 

 bilities, the more they long for some less spendthrift way 

 of seeking the public good than that of blind empiricism, 

 which can distinguish the right methods from the wrong 

 only by trying both. Indeed, no one who is interested 

 in the social well-being of the people will deny that 

 amongst^he deepest needs of pur times is the need OJL 

 clear light upon the Abroad principles of social well-being ; 

 the need, in short, of A^science of social life. 



But where is such a science to be found ; or what pros- 

 pects are there that it can ever be established ? The very 

 suggestion of such a science seems incompatible with 

 sobriety of judgment. There can be no science save 

 where broad general laws colligate, or rather constitute, 

 the facts ; and what laws which are not so general as to 

 be well-nigh meaningless hold in this region of human 

 life? Is not human nature plastic, and are not the forms 

 which it has taken endlessly varied? Does it not express 

 itself in individuals and is not every one of these, in each 

 detailed deed, free? Amongst the characteristics of our 

 times is its dis^ni^tjof_theory_. We are most apt to be 

 Agnostics, except as to things which we can touch and see, 

 deeming true causes to be beyond our reach, and our 

 knowledge to be only of their outward show ; and we are 

 not aware that our Agnosticism is due to a sense of a 

 world more sane and stable, which is just the product of 

 our widening knowledge. Even the natural sciences are 

 found to be defective. Their results, it is averred, are 

 proximate generalisations, their bases are hypothetical, 

 their very facts are only phenomena. Our knowledge 

 gives us something of the use of things, and is in that 

 respect not vain. We can gain such truth as serves our 



