Chapter I: The Fundamental Error in Modern Sociological Study

Science during the middle of this century excited popular interest mainly on account of its bearing on the doctrines of Christianity • 3

Its popularity is now beginning to depend on its bearing not on religious problems, but on social • 3

Science itself is undergoing a corresponding change • 4

Its characteristic aim during the middle of the century was to deal with physical and physiological evolution • 4

Its characteristic aim now is to deal with the evolution of society • 5

Social science itself is not wholly new • 5

What is new is the application to it of the evolutionary theory • 6

This excites men by suggesting great social changes in the future, • 7

which will give a speculative meaning to the history of humanity, • 8

or secure for men now existing, or for their children, practical social advantages • 8

Men have thus a double reason for being interested in social science, and sociologists a double reason for studying it; • 9

and it has attracted a number of men of genius, who have applied to it methods learned in the school of physical science • 9

Yet despite their genius and their diligence, all parties complain that the results of their study are inconclusive • 10

Professor Marshall and Mr. Kidd, for instance, complain of the fact, but can suggest no explanation of it • 10

What can the explanation be? • 11

The answer will be found in the fact just referred to—that social science attempts to answer two distinct sets of questions; • 12

and one set—namely, the speculative—it has answered with great success; • 12

it has failed only in attempting to answer practical questions • 13

Now the phenomena with which it has dealt successfully are phenomena of social aggregates, considered as wholes; • 13

but the practical problems of to-day, with which it has dealt unsuccessfully, arise out of the conflict between different parts of aggregates • 15

Social science has failed as a _practical_ guide because it has not recognised this distinction; • 16

and hence arise most of the errors of the political philosophy of this century • 16