lo The Philosophy of Force 



The philosophy of force has been thoroughly 

 developed by a German sociologist, G. Ratzen- 

 hofer/ who maintains that the formation of the 

 States can be brought about only by violence. 



The formation of the States did not result from the 

 play of free interests as did the fonnation of the horde, 

 of tribes, of parties, and of associations in general; 

 no, it arose from antagonistic interests and as a 

 consequence it is a coercive organization. . . . 



All evolution is the result of competition, but in 

 the case of the State, violence itself is the agent which 

 has created it. Since this violence follows the path of 

 social necessity, since it acts in the direction of true 

 natural interests, this is the criterion by which we can 

 judge that the State realizes its mission in the social 

 life. Every time we disregard this fundamental 

 conception of the State, every time we admit the 

 opinion that the State could proceed as a simple 

 effect of civilization, of a pacific union, or of any other 

 combinations of this nature, we enter into contradic- 

 tion with the teaching of sociology and we prepare the 

 way for political experiences which terminate in a 

 most lamentable fashion. 



The eminent American sociologist, Professor 

 Lester F. Ward, who has been largely influenced 

 by the work of Ratzenhofer, and of the Polish 

 sociologist, Ludwig Gumplowicz, ^ traces the origin 

 of the entire system of industrial production to 



^ Die Sociologische Erkentniss, Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1898, pp. 



233-34- 



' Der Rassenkampf. 



