August 24, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



223 



Comte, but himself defends at length ; and his 

 work is constructed consistently therewith. 

 The part which relates to sociology, therefore, 

 is based upon princi|)les derived from the 

 physical and biologic sciences and psychology, 

 which he treats as a biologic science. Some 

 general mention is made of languages, arts, 

 and opinions, in various portions of the book ; 

 but no systematic treatment of these subjects 

 is presented. The same is true with respect 

 to all that body of facts which, if systema- 

 tized, the author would call static sociology. 

 He only attempts to treat, at length and in 

 order, the forces of society. This theory is 

 but a half-truth, and the method of treatment 

 resulting therefrom has sometimes led to con- 

 clusions that are erroneous. The most im- 

 portant failure in this respect is Mr. Ward's 

 presentation of what he denominates the four 

 stages of society: viz., " (I) the solitary or 

 antarchic stage ; (2) tiie constrained aggre- 

 gate or anarchic stage; (3) the national or 

 politarchio stage ; and (4) the cosmopolitan or 

 pantarchic stage." The first or solitary stage 

 is that which Mr. Ward supposes to exist 

 among animals. In the second stage he sup- 

 poses mankind to have multiplied in great 

 numbers, to have been widely spread through- 

 out tlie earth, and to have been aggregated 

 without organization. The third stage is repre- 

 sented by the organized tribes and nations of 

 the earth. The fourth stage is a prophec}', when 

 all men shall be organized in one bod^y politic. 

 It will be well to compare this scheme with 

 that of Morgan in his ' Ancient societ\'.' Mor- 

 gan attempts to cstablisli what he denominates 

 ethical periods. The three grand periods are 

 savagery, barbarism, and civilization ; and 

 savagery and barbarism are subdivided. The 

 following is his scheme : — 



method of aggregation, while Morgan's scheme 

 is based on the development of arts. Ward is 

 right in bis philosophic plan, but altogether 

 wrong in its execution : Morgan is wrong in 

 liis plan, or method, but more nearly right in 

 his final conclusions ; for the three grand stages 

 which he endeavors to establish can with some 

 modification be fully based on the method of 

 aggregation, i.e., on the data of sociology as 

 distinguished from teclinology. This will be 

 briefly set forth. 



The inception of social organization is in 

 the biologic ditterentiation of the sexes, giving 

 husband and wife, parent and child, brother 

 and sister, and other relations of affinity and 

 consanguinity. At tliat time, when tiie species 

 now known as man had made no farther prog- 

 ress than have some of the lower animals at 

 the present time, this elementary organization 

 existed ; and a greater or less development of 

 this organization is discovered among many 

 species of the lower animals. On it tiie sub- 

 sequent organization was built. Tlie impor- 

 tance of this fundamental organization seems 

 to have escaped ^Ir. Ward. 



Archeologic evidence is now abundant to 

 show, that man was widely scattered through- 

 out the earth at a verv early stage in the de- 

 velopment of art, i.e., in the paleolithic age. 

 Again : there is abundant linguistic evidence 

 to show, that man was widely scattered through- 

 out the earth at the inception or beginning of 

 the development of articulate, i.e., organized, 

 speech. In tliis condition he must have had 

 at least something of the social organization 

 which is based on sex. The stories which 

 have been told, to which Mr. Ward refers 

 without giving full credence, of men living in 

 utterly discrete conditions, are but idle tales, 

 and have no place in the data of scientific 



I. Lower status of savagery . 

 II. Middle status of savagery 



III. Upper status of savagery . 



IV. Lower status of barbarism 



V. Middle status of barbarism 



VL Upper status of barbarism 

 VII. Status of civilization . . 



( From the infancy of the human race to the commencemi'iil of the 

 ) ne.xt period. 



j From the aC(|uisition of a fish subsistence and a knowledge of the use 

 I of fire to llic commencement of the next period, 

 i From fho invention of the Ijow and arrow to the oommfnccment of 

 j the next period. 



i From tlie invention of the art of pottery to the commencement of the 

 1 next period. 

 From the domestication of animals on the eastern hemisphere, and 

 in the western from the cultivation of maize and plants by irri- 

 gation, with the use of adobe-brick and stone, to the commence- 

 [ ment of the next period. 



) From the invention of the process of smelting iron ore, with the use 

 I of iron tools, to the commencement of the next period. 

 ( From the invention of a phonetic alphabet, with the use of writing, 

 I to the present time. 



It will be seen, tliat Ward' 

 sistent with his philosophy. 



scheme is con- anthropology. Mr. Ward says, '"Tiie second 

 and based on stage embodies none of the elements of per- 



