Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/151

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METHODOLOGY OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM 1 35

(e) Phoronomic ( kinetic ) and dynamic assumptions of

mechanics. (/) The causal idea of mechanical theory, and the postulate of

restricted natural causality. 4. The general methods and means of investigating nature. (a) General character of the methods of natural science. (p) The experimental method, (c) The comparative method. (</) Description and explanation of nature. Chap. II. The Logic of Physics.

1 . The physical methods.

(<j) Analysis of natural phenomena.

{b) Synthetic production of natural phenomena.

(c) Physical induction.

((/) Physical abstraction.

((?) Physical deduction.

2. Aids to physical investigation. (a) Physical observation.

{J}) Measurement of natural phenomena.

(c) Mathematical auxiliaries of physical investigation.

((/) Determination of physical constants.

3. The substructure of physical phenomena.

(a) The hypothesis of continuity and of atoms.

(b) Dynamic atomic theory.

(c) Kinetic atomic theory.

(d") Reversion to conceptions of continuity, (if) Logical test of hypotheses.

4. General natural laws.

(a) Laws and functions of force. (*) Laws of energy. (c) Ideas of physical limitations. Chap. III. The Logic of Chemistry.

1. Chemical methods.

{a) General tasks of chemical research.

{b) Chemical analysis.

(c) Chemical synthesis.

(</) Chemical induction.

(if) Chemical abstraction and deduction.

2. Chemical statics and dynamics.

(a) The principles of chemical statics. (*) The principles of chemical dynamics.

3. The chemical conception of atoms. Chap. IV. The Logic of Biology.

I. Biological methods.