1 06 ARISTO CRA CY AND E VOL UTION 



Book i to the speculative or religious philosopher. The 



chapter 4 ^^ o f ^^ statement is illustrated by what has 



what concerns just been said about evolution. If evolved pheno- 



p^ioSpteJ 6 mena are phenomena which exhibit a reasonable 



sequence, and have yet been intended by no animal 



or human mind, it is open to the thinker to argue 



I that they must have been intended by the mind of 



/ some higher power ; and a new gate is opened into 



the Eden of theological speculation, from which 



man was driven when he first ate of the tree of 



scientific knowledge. 



The intended But whilst the business of the speculative philo- 

 ori^inales^ 011 sopher is solely with the phenomena that have been 

 directly in the unintended, the business of the practical sociologist is 



great man, is 



what is of solely with the phenomena that have been intended. 



interest for ' A 



practical A moment s reflection will convince the reader that 

 this must be so. The meaning of the words "practi- 

 cal science " is a science from which we can draw 

 practical advice ; but all advice implies an intended 

 end ; and every attempt to solve social problems 

 scientifically must be concerned with results which 

 we may deliberately set ourselves to produce, and 

 not with by-products which, ex hypothesi, are beyond 

 our calculation. We may study these by-products 

 of intention as they have shown themselves in the 

 past ; but if we do this, it will be with the object 

 of becoming able to foresee them in the future. So 

 soon as we can foresee them, we shall be able to 

 intend their production ; and when this happens 

 they will cease to belong to the unintended. The 

 great man will then consciously aim at them, and 



