4 INTRODUCTION 



" Each of us," says Ross, " considers a change progressive 

 when it advances society toward his ideal. But one man's ideal 

 is freedom, while another's is order; one man borrows from biol- 

 ogy the criterion of differentiation, while another imports from 

 psychology the idea of harmony; one man's touchstone is the 

 happiness of the many, while another's is the perfecting of the 

 superior few. It is, therefore, hopeless as yet to look for a test of 

 progress that shall be objective and valid for all. Since change is 

 a matter of observation, whereas progress is a matter of judgment 

 involving the application of a subjective standard, those who 

 desire to see sociology a true science are justified in insisting that 

 social dynamics deal with the factors and manner, not of social 

 progress merely, but of social change." 1 This is very true for 

 sociology as a science which deals with facts and laws, but sociol- 

 ogy is also a philosophy which evaluates. Social science observes 

 and systematizes social phenomena and their relations; but social 

 philosophy seeks to understand these phenomena not merely in 

 their relations of co-existence and sequence but as a system, — a 

 causal order. 



It is nearly a hundred years since Auguste Comte gave the 

 world his Positive Philosophy as a theory of social progress, first as 

 lectures, later in published form. Since then many have followed 

 in his footsteps and many more, without pretending to think 

 social phenomena as a whole, have contributed to social science 

 by the discovery and formulation of social laws. 



In the history of social science and social philosophy, if I 

 observe correctly, one word, or the principle of which it is the 

 symbol, stands out with ever increasing prominence, — that of 

 adaptation. It is the main purpose of this book to trace the 

 development of this doctrine as a theory of social progress. 



The Value of Social Philosophy. — Our discussion will lead us to 

 consider such questions concerning the social group, large and 

 small, as have ever perplexed thoughtful souls concerning their 

 own existence, whence, how, whither, and why ? 2 But as con- 

 sideration of such ultimate questions is tabooed by so many in 



1 Foundations of Sociology, p. 186. 



2 Cf. Ward, Applied Sociology, p. 3. 



