INTRODUCTION XXIX 



apparently inherent metaphysical tendency evolves also. Those 

 who to-day would fain relegate metaphysics to the museum of 

 antiquated superstitions are themselves metaphysicians, bent on 

 discovering the basis of that most metaphysical of conceptions, 

 the moral law. And Max Stirner, who rejected all religion and 

 all morality, because religion and morality subordinate the 

 individual instincts to a metaphysical entity exterior to him, 

 was compelled, against his will, to invent a new metaphysical 

 entity, the Ego, or Jch. 



But further than this the sociologist cannot go. He considers 

 reUgion and metaphysics, like all other psychosocial phenomena, 

 as products of social life, as evolved and maintained by the 

 necessities of social life. Hence he must judge irrational all 

 theories which treat religion as a negligible factor of social 

 evolution, whether in the present or future. Placing himself at 

 a higher and more philosophical poiat of view, he is able to 

 recognise, on the contrary, the fundamental importance, the 

 indispensable nature of religion as a social factor. Religion will 

 not become antiquated, because social life without religion is 

 impossible except at an advanced stage of social regression, 

 when a society has lost all power of expansion. With the dog- 

 matic principles of any religion ia particular the sociologist has 

 no concern ; he will, perhaps, feel inclined to say with Nietzsche : 

 " It is not necessary that anything should be true ; it is only 

 necessary that we should beUeve something to be true." ^ 



1 Werlce, xv. 274. Nietzsche has said many excellent things concerning 

 religion as a product of social expansion — as an expression of the Wille 

 zur Macht of a society. For instance, he says {Werke, xv. 275) : " Das 

 Mass des Erkennen-woUens hangt von dem Mass des Wachsens des Willens 

 zur Macht der Art ab : eine Macht ergreift so viel Realitat, um iiber sie 

 Herr zu warden, um sie in Dienst zu nehmen." This means that the re- 

 ligious system of every society corresponds to the power of expansion of 

 that society, consequently to its social fitness. That rehgion is a product 

 of selection, maintained by the constant intervention of selection, owing 

 to its necessity for society in the struggle for existence, Nietzsche has fully 

 recognised when he writes ( Werke, xv. 273) : " In den Wertsohatzungen 



