SOCIOLOGY AND HERO-WORSHIP 



theory of the actual changes which the earth's 

 surface has undergone, or will undergo, under 

 given conditions. In so far as his knowledge 

 of the physical and chemical properties of mat- 

 ter is exhaustive, and in so far as his judgment 

 is sound, his conclusions with regard to the 

 general course of geological events will be cor- 

 rect. He can even foretell, in outline, what 

 kind of effects will be likely to be produced by 

 a given set of geological causes. But when it 

 comes to predicting, with minute and exhaustive 

 accuracy, the geological future of any particular 

 spot on the earth's surface, he is foiled, through 

 inability to compass all the conditions of the 

 concrete case. And likewise, if he is asked to 

 give the precise physical history of any particu- 

 lar spot on the earth, his conclusions, though 

 sound in principle, may be inadequate, because 

 he may not have gained control of all the spe- 

 cial facts required for this individual case. So, 

 although geology is unquestionably a legitimate 

 science, it is nevertheless a science which must 

 deal chiefly with explanations after the fact ; it 

 can seldom or never be possible for the geolo- 

 gist to lay down general principles which will 

 be sure to fit every case that may arise. 



Just so with sociology. The philosophical 



student of sociology assumes as data the general 



and undisputed facts of human nature, and with 



the aid of all such concrete facts as he can get 



179 



