5 2 ARISTOCRA C Y AND E VOL UTION 



Book i "Amongst societies of all orders and sizes" he 

 writes, "sociology has to ascertain what traits there 

 are in common, determined by the common traits of 

 human beings ; what less general traits, distinguish- 

 ing certain groups of societies, result from traits 

 distinguishing certain races of men; and what 

 peculiarities in each society are traceable to the 

 peculiarities of its members." This is clumsily ex- 

 pressed ; but its meaning, which is quite obvious, 

 may be seen by taking, as a typical society, that of 

 England. The sociologist, in explaining English 

 society, will have to consider, according to Mr. 

 Spencer, first, what traits Englishmen have in 

 virtue of being human creatures ; secondly, he will 

 have to consider what traits they have in virtue of 

 being Europeans, not Orientals ; and, thirdly, he will 

 have to consider what traits they have in virtue of 

 being Englishmen, not Frenchmen or Germans. 



The reader will at once perceive the contrast 



between the spirit of these two passages. In the 



former Mr. Spencer notes, with great penetration 



and accuracy, a most important point of difference 



and he actually between two sets of men belonging to the same 



aggregate as society. In the latter he deals with societies as 



" single bodies, the members of which possess no 

 approximately personal traits whatever, except such as thev all 



equal units. " ^ - 



possess alike ; and all the traits in which they differ 

 from one another, such as the one just alluded to, 

 of necessity disappear from the field of vision 

 altogether. Should any doubt as to the matter still 

 remain in the reader's mind, it will be dispelled by 



