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THE ETHICS OF SOCIOLOGY. 
When at one of our past meetings I ventured to suggest 
that in assuming the title of Sociologists we were incurring 
a responsibility beyond that of the mere study of Mr. Herbert 
Spencer’s invaluable literary works, I must admit that I did 
not expect to be called upon to give suggestions as to the scope 
of our proceedings as professing Sociologists. I do not, how¬ 
ever, regret my presumption. Though I should have pre¬ 
ferred to have been critical rather than suggestive, I am none 
the less conscious that to be critical and not suggestive also 
is of but negative value to any association. 
Having ventured upon criticism, I accept, as best I may, 
the concurrent duty of suggestion also. When I was asked to 
become a member of the Birmingham Natural History and 
Microscopical Society, I consented for reasons which, on self- 
examination, I discovered were chiefly selfish ones. As an 
ardent lover of Nature in the abstract I felt that in joining the 
Society of which this is a section I should have opportunities 
of tasting of the fruits of the labours of others who, in their 
respective studies of natural subjects, have advanced so much 
beyond what I dare hope to discover for myself. I had some 
qualms of conscience as to whether I could honestly associate 
with specialists. Such fears were, however, quickly dispersed. 
I soon discovered that our worthy Chairman, as a Zoologist; 
our President, in Geology; Mr. Bagnall and Mr. Grove, in 
Botany and Mycology; Mr. Chase, in Ornithology; and others 
wandering lovingly over the varied and intersecting paths of 
study in Nature, were, one and all, desirous to enlighten the 
ignorant. I felt that I was welcome to help myself to any and 
all of the varied feasts of knowledge spread before me. Like a 
child wandering in a new world of wonders, as each subject 
was presented to my mind, I thought it the most beautiful of 
all. I experienced a great accession of that reverential love 
of Nature as a whole which has of late years made me joy 
in the consciousness that the beasts and birds, insects and 
fishes, the trees of the forest and the flowers of the field, are 
my relations and companions in life. 
The more we learn what life is, to them and to us, the 
closer does this universal relationship and inter-dependence 
reveal itself to be, and the dearer does their companionship 
become. The more extended knowledge of that struggle for 
existence which we share with all other forms of life is be¬ 
coming a great factor in our civilisation. We are learning to 
better distinguish between friends and foes to our position at 
the head of life. The Life-history of plants and animals, and 
even their Family Faculties, are being accurately recorded, 
and are influencing our lines of thought and action, and are 
