20 ADAPTATION AND PROGRESS 
that specific groups form “ societies ” characterized by a certain 
community of thought and life. This conception, developed by 
Spencer, Le Bon, Durkheim and others, approaches much more 
nearly to concrete reality.+ 
Comte’s law of the three periods, together with his fiction of 
all humanity as a developing organism, is the basis of his doctrine 
of relativism which is, perhaps, his most important contribution 
to social philosophy.? By relativism he has in mind not only the 
relativity of knowledge emphasized by Spencer, but even more 
the relativity of social phenomena to the stage of development of 
the organism. That is, there is no absolutely right form of 
government, or religion, or set of moral principles, — or at least 
not until developed by positivism. A certain form is appropriate 
to society in the theological stage, another when it has reached the 
metaphysical and still another when all life is interpreted and 
organized in accordance with science. ; 
The dynamic study of society gives rise to the problem of prog- 
ress.5 The one phrase used most by our author, especially in 
the Polity is the development of order,® though he also uses that of 
increasing differentiation and integration,’ a growing preponder- 
ance of cultural over organic phases of life, and an enlargement 
of man’s powers over the forces of nature.? In particular, we 
have as proof of material progress the fact that though there has 
been great increase in population there has been, also, an increase 
in the satisfaction of wants.” Intellectual development is shown 
by an increase in the aptitude for mental combinations and 
abstract thinking." Moral progress is marked by the develop- 
ment of the social faculties and by the expression of these in in- 
dustrial co-operation and efforts toward social amelioration.” 
1 Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 132, 491 ff. 
2 Ibid., ii, pp. 77,92 ff. Cf. Small, General Sociology, pp. 68 ff. 
3 Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 517 f. 
4 Ibid., ii, pp. 14-16. Cf. Mill, op. cit., pp. 177 ff. 
5 Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 84-89; Mill, p. 100; A General View, p. 117. 
® Tbid., p. 116. 7 Positive Philosophy, i, p. 120; ii, p. 140. 
8 [bid., ii, pp. 89, 129, 150 ff. 
9 [bid., i, p. 361; li, pp. 88, 118 f., 129, 150, 259. 
10 Tbid., ii, pp. 88 f. 11 See above, note 8. 
2 Positive Philosophy, ii, pp. 131 f., 288, 554 ff. 
