INTRODUCTION 



ceived such an alteration, just because one of 

 Fiske's most decided interests was here con- 

 cerned. 



45. Another branch of Fiske's discussions of 

 social evolution would have been sure to un- 

 dergo great alteration if he had been able to 

 reconsider the whole matter at length. I refer 

 to his treatment of the evolution of institutions. 

 Here, for one thing, Spencer*s very elaborate 

 Parts III. to VIII. of the " Sociology," with 

 their treatment of Domestic, Ceremonial, Politi- 

 cal, Ecclesiastical, Professional, and Industrial 

 Institutions, would have called upon him, not 

 only to supplement, but in some respects to 

 alter, the views about the nature of institutional 

 progress which he had set forth in speaking of 

 the evolution of society. One point in particu- 

 lar may here be mentioned as of importance. 

 The prominence which Fiske gives, in the rele- 

 vant passages of the " Cosmic Philosophy," to 

 the views of Sir Henry Maine, on the early con- 

 stitution of society ("Cosmic Philosophy," Part 

 II. chapter xviii.), might have been modified 

 by what Spencer has to say in Part III. of the 

 " Sociology," chapter ix. For Fiske shows a 

 disposition to speak of Maine's views as rightly 

 representing the early stages of society gen- 

 erally, while Spencer limits their application 

 (§ 317 of the cited chapter) to " {he evolution 

 cxlv 



