XVlli HEREDITY AND SELECTION IN SOCIOLOGY 



CHAPTER IV 



Religion as a Social Fokce 



PAGES 



1. Inadequacy of the three great forces which are to be substituted 



for religion — Object of the " social force " on which a stable 

 and coherent social polity can alone be founded — Integration 

 of the Japanese nation — ^The ideal of "Bushido " — Necessity of 

 a similar force in Western civilisation — ^The reorganisation of 

 the spiritual basis of social life — Papal Christianity and the ex- 

 pansion of Western civilisation — Auguste Comte on the judg- 

 ment of the Positivist school — The causes of social disintegration 

 foreseen by Comte — The French Revolution and human liberty 

 — Results of this liberty — Increase of the sphere and intensity 

 of conflict unaccompanied by corresponding increase in the 

 value of life — Comte on the " eminently social genius " of 

 CathoUcism. 



2. Harmonious co-operation of science and religion in the social 



sphere — The fullest expansion of life can only be attained 

 through this harmonious co-operation — Religion is a sociological 

 necessity — Impossibility of reducing Christianity to its primitive 

 form - - 504^539 



CHAPTER V 



General Conclusion 



Necessity of the study of biology as a preliminary for sociology — 

 Biological and traditional regression of Western society — 

 Solidity of the social structure dependent on the solidity of its 

 spiritual basis — ^The spiritual life of society a fruit of biological 

 aptitude — The causes and prevention of regression — The 

 necessity of a supra-rational ideal for the individual and for 

 society . . 540-555 



Index . 557-571 



