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NEW HOOKS. -117 ut mml reform, the elections to ti >;il in 17.SII anil the solution of the peasant question. In the preface to the French trans- lation l-'rof. Kureiew says that the subject of the present volume waB suggested to him not only by a scientific- interest in the French Devolution lint also by the social interest that the peasant question has for 1. at the present day. The 19th February, 1861, was for Uussia what the 4th August. IT*!', had been for France. I n the eighteenth century the condition of the peasantry was the principal social question in Fi middle ot' the nineteenth century it was the principal social question (or Russia. Prof. Kareiew lied through the period when the peasant question was being dealt with in Russia, and the present volume was written under the direct influence of the impression formed by the author during that period. It is a book which will well repay reading by all who are interested in the economic aspect of social questions. 1. a Mdi'i-hi ili- riln.iiiii iiitt' it h K iii'iniit hiniiniix. Par E. BOMBARD. Paris : (iiard et Bri'ere, 1900. Pp. 313. M. Bombard is a disciple of A. Conite and the present work is a con- densation of positivist ideas and principles. In the first part of the book the author gives a general sketch of the history of human development from the remotest time to the present day. In the course of this sketch he shows the relation of great men to the civilisation of the period in which they lived. In the opinion of M. Bombard the social unrest which characterises modern European civilisation is the result of the struggle which is going on between science and theology a struggle which began in ancient Greece but did not become accentuated till the sixteenth century of our era. A crucial period was reached in 1789. Science then believed it was able to take complete direction of human iittmrs, and to supplant the sanctions of theology by sanctions of its own. Hut this was proved to be an illusion. Science failed in its attempt because it did not possess sufficient knowledge of biological and socio- logical laws. Auguste Comte has filled up this gap, and science is now- able to fulfil the task which was too much for her a century ago. In the middle ages Catholicism served as a guide to the western world. It is now in ruins, but as yet nothing has taken its place. At present man- kind owing to the spread of international relations is more than ever in need of moral direction. But mankind will not accept direction ot this character unless it is resting on a scientific basis. Positivist morality alone possesses this characteristic : it alone can become universal and serve as a new guide to a bewildered humanity. M. Bombard does not consider that science necessarily leads to morality, and positivist morality is not scientific in the sense that it is the inevitable outcome of science. Positivist morality is scientific because it discards theology and is con- structed solely of scientific materials. In the second part of his book M. Bombard deals with the evolution of the intelligence, and shows that the only cause of the superiority of the white races is to be attributed to their greater aptitude for abstract science. In an appendix the principles of positivism are briefly set forth so as to give the reader a summary view of the contents of positivist doctrine. We may say of M. Bombard's volume that it is a useful introduction to the writings of Comte, anil the principles of his philosophy as understood by his disciples at the close of the century. L-'s lilr'rx ryalitaire.s Etud? xociolvyiyue. Par C. BOUGLK. Paris : Felix Alcan, 1899. Pp. 249. M. Bougk- is already favourably known to students of French socio- logical literature by his excellent little book on social science in Germany, 27