Adgust 10, 1883.J 



SCIENCE. 



171 



WARD'S DYNAMIC SOCIOLOGY. 

 III. 



Mk. Waud presents a classification of the sci- 

 ences differing from those proposed bj- August 

 Comte and Herbert Spencer. Tlie new classi- 

 fication is of great interest, and deserves espe- 

 cial mention. The classification of Corate 

 was made prior to the great development of 

 modern scientific research, and is imperfect. 

 The classification of Spencer is, like much of 

 his philosophy, a mixture of metaphj-sical 

 8i)eculation and jjositive knowledge. Does 

 the classification of Ward meet the require- 

 ments of scientific philosophj' ? 



lie divides the subject-matter of all science 

 into three parts, which he denominates the 

 ' primarj',' • secondary.' and ' tertiary ' aggre- 

 gations. It is a classification of the objects 

 of the cosmos by modes of aggregation. The 

 primary aggregation is molecular, and gives an 

 inorganic kingdom ; the secondary is morpho- 

 logic, and gives a biologic kingdom ; the terti- 

 ary is sociologic, and is represented by human 

 society. 



A mountain is an aggregation of rocks, or 

 geological formations, some of which ni.iy be 

 crystalline, others detrital. It is an inorganic 

 molar aggregate, and must fall into Mr. Ward's 

 first class. But the earth itself is an aggregate 

 of solids, fluids, and gases. Its solids are 

 molar aggregates of detrital and crystalline 

 rocks. These rocks at the surface are arranged 

 in mountains, hills, and valleys, with interven- 

 ing depressions filled with bodies of water, — 

 seas, lakes, and rivers ; and beneath, an un- 

 known interior; and above, the atmosphere. 

 The atmosphere is in motion. The water is 

 carried into the air, and moves with it, and de- 

 scends again upon the earth. The known solid 

 portion of the earth is also in motion, rising 

 and falling in its relation to the centre of the 

 earth ; while jwrtions of the unknown interior 

 of the earth are, by extravasation, coming to 

 the surface, and the land portions of the earth 

 are being carried by the waters into the sea. 



Geology teaches us, then, that the earth is 

 eom|)osed of interdependent parts ; that the 

 circulation of the air, of the waters, of the 

 solids, and of the interior liquids is carried 

 on by the action of the several interdependent 

 parts ; and the earth has been not inaptly com- 

 pared by eminent geologi.'-ts to a living or 

 organized being. If we proi)erly understand 

 Mr. Ward, this aggregation also is to be rele- 

 gated to his first class. 



Again : the earth is one of a group of worlds 

 composing the solar system, — the solar aggi'e- 



gation, composed of interdependent parts ; and 

 this aggregation is also to be included in the 

 first class. 



The inclusion of all of these modes of aggre- 

 gation in the one class is tacit. He does not 

 clearly set them forth, and his definitions are 

 imperfect. It is difficult to understand from 

 his discussion whether thcj- were considered 

 in his general scheme, or whether he would, 

 if considering tiiem, establish one or two more 

 grand categories. 



Again : psycholog}- is included in the secon- 

 dary aggregation as belonging to biologj'. As 

 the term is now used liy scientific men, ' psj'- 

 cliolog}' ' includes a consideration of the bio- 

 logic organ of the mind and its operations. 

 Through these operations are produced lan- 

 guages, giving the science of philology ; arts, 

 giving the science of technology ; societies, 

 giving the science of sociology ; and opin- 

 ions, giving the science of philosophy. With 

 Mr. Ward, philology, technology, and perhaps 

 philosophy, are subordinate parts of sociology. 

 Though he does not make direct statement to 

 this effect, 3-et his presentation leads to this 

 conclusion, in the same manner as his presen- 

 tation of the subject of primary aggregation 

 leads to the supposition that he intends to 

 include molar and stellar aggregations therein. 



Psj-cholog}- has its biologic organ in the 

 brain and nervous system ; and mind is discov- 

 ered in the lower orders of life, as well as in 

 man. The genesis of psychology is manifestly 

 in biology. In like manner, the organs of 

 speech, active and passive, alike in oral, sign, 

 and written language, are biologic ; and lan- 

 guage is also found in the lower orders of life. 

 Language, therefore, has its genesis in biolog}'. 

 In the same manner, the organs of the arts 

 are biologic ; and rude arts are discovered in 

 the lower orders of life. Technolog}-, there- 

 fore, has its genesis in biology. The first step 

 in .sociologic organization is the biologic ditl'er- 

 entiation of the sexes, giving husband and 

 wife, parent and child ; and rude social organ- 

 ization is also found in the lower orders of 

 life. Sociology, therefore, has its genesis in 

 biology. The same considerations that would 

 lead to the relegation of psycliology to biology 

 would also lead to the inclusion of philologj', 

 technology, and sociology, and perhaps of phi- 

 losophj-. 



Now, these five sciences are so bound to- 

 gether that the absence of one would void all. 

 They are interdependent anp co-ordinate in 

 such a manner that the evolution of one is 

 de|>endent on the evolution of all. Language 

 is a means of communication between individ- 



