518 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE IN THE CENTURY. 



seems useful to distinguish (a) the primary or origi- 

 native factors which evoke change in the societary 

 form, and (b) the secondary or directive factors 

 which determine the persistence of particular lines 

 of change. 



(A) Originative Factors. Social variations may 

 have an individual or a social origin. " The indi- 

 vidual," Baldwin says, " produces the new varia- 

 tions, the new things in social matter." * " The in- 

 dividual particularises on the basis of the generali- 

 sations which society has already effected, and his 

 activity supplies the essential material of all human 

 and social progress." f The genius, who must be 

 interpreted as an individual " transilient " variation 

 — may be powerful enough to bring about a social 

 variation. This is the truth in " the-great-man- 

 theory " of history. 



Social variations may also have a social origin. 

 Increase of population implies the internal growth 

 of society, and the structural arrangements which 

 were adequate yesterday may be incoherent to-mor- 

 row unless there be differentiating and integrating 

 changes. The societary form passes from one state 

 of approximate equilibrium to another. 



One may doubt whether the biologist has a right 

 to speak of self-differentiation or self-integration in 

 regard to a plant or animal, but there is no doubt 

 that the terms are often appropriate to what occurs 

 in a societary form, which is conscious of itself and 

 actually changes itself. 



Another source of variation, corresponding to the 

 biological amphimixis (or fertilisation) is to be 

 found in the coalescence of two societary forms. 



* Social and Ethical Interpretation. 1897, p. 455. 

 fP. 456. 



