504 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
siveness of social classes or of the individuals exposed to this insecurity. The belief that social customs and arrangements are largely responsible for this evil is coming more and more into popular acceptance. Relief from this insecurity must come either from individual efforts or from collective aid. The Anglo- Saxon antipathy to the latter method is based upon the belief that such evils spring from personal rather than from social causes. This belief is fostered by society for its own security or by the favored classes for their own benefit, with the confi- dent assurance that the less favored classes can be educated in self-help by such means alone. Admitting that this is half the truth, the less obvious half now needs the greater emphasis. It is becoming evident that it is the impossibility of making ade- quate provision against this insecurity in its various forms, as well as the absence of opportunities and adequate knowledge of means of saving, that operates with large numbers if not with whole classes as a discouragement or even preventive to all sav- ing. Under such circumstances collective aid is more likely to stimulate than to discourage thrift. Then again it is obvious that such thrift as would be required to make provision is utterly impossible with great numbers of those who are most in need of it. Such saving upon the part of these classes, even if possible, would lower the whole standard of life, a standard now imply- ing a minimum of social welfare.
It is unnecessary to enter upon a discussion of the social value of insurance at this point ; enough to point out the insuf- ficiency of the individualistic solution. With all the benefits resulting from the multiplicity of commercial and mutual insur- ance companies, benevolent societies and trade organizations, it is evident that such efforts are wholly inadequate and do not affect the most serious of these evils.
A method based upon social solidarity will alone be efficient and sufficient. Do the continental methods of compulsory insurance afford this ? Granting that they do for continental societies, it is evident that they are not applicable to Anglo- Saxon societies, at least in their present stage of development.
