1 8 W. G. Langworthy Taylor 



kinetic rate of progress. The theory of progress will then have 

 reached the full kinetic stage. 



While in the static stage of contrasts, however, the theory of 

 progress will already contain kinetic elements. Instead of taking 

 various social elements and building up social conclusions out of 

 them and thus bringing them often into strange relations, it will 

 assume the condition and action of society as a whole to be the 

 simple unanalyzed fact. It will therefore start in accord with 

 common experience and bear a kinetic stamp from the first. The 

 business man and the statesman always deal with the matters in 

 which they are interested as wholes. Their materials have a way 

 of acting with which they are become familiar and with reference 

 to which they instinctively take active measures. The business 

 man does not stop to think whether prices are due to the produc- 

 tion of gold, to the state of credit, or to the production of com- 

 modities. The statesman does not stop to think whether attacks 

 on the banks are due to the materialism of the public, or to the 

 survival of the lower elements in the development of civilization. 

 To the statesman public opinion is public opinion. 



Perhaps the most useful phase of the method of treatment here 

 outlined is in the fact that the recognition of assumed sudden 

 changes in environment is actually quite warranted. It is far 

 from true that nature does not at least appear to act in a revo- 

 lutionary manner. The gradual change of the seasons is marked 

 by storms. The gradual movements of the earth's crust are 

 marked by earthquakes and volcanoes, by "flaws" and "dikes." 

 Political history is marked by revolutions, and economic history 

 by crises. It is possible that these phenomena are superficial and 

 that laws may be formulated that continue their uninterrupted 

 work after, as well as before them. Nevertheless, it is true that 

 the face of society, like the face of nature, presents a very dif- 

 ferent aspect after one of these interruptions. It may be true 

 that natura saltum non facit, but it is also true that "it is the 

 unexpected that always happens." The striking phenomena must 

 not be omitted simply because they are superficial. Our theory 

 must find a place for them. 



Tt is possible that this method will enable the Economic Crisis 

 to be studied with better success than heretofore. Crises have 



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