702 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
from their functions. Before treating an important branch of this complex evolution, for example juridical or political evolution, we must decide whether it is proper to assign the same rank to these social phenomena as to religious, or scientific, or industrial evolution. Are not the two last in combination the relatively independent vari- ables of which the evolution of law and of political power are only the functions ? And, if that is the case, is it reasonable to expect as much simplicity or relative regularity in the march of political and juridical evolution as in that of religious, scientific, or industrial evolution ?" In accordance with this suggestion, Tarde at once sketches subdivisions of the problem of political power corresponding with the variety of cul- ture stage in which it belongs. Quite likely the folk-pychologists will say that Tarde has proposed in all this no problem which they have not already formulated, and they may not be far from correct, but Tarde has certainly approached the problems from an angle of his own, and has helped to show their importance. At the same time he has not gone far beyond the enunciation of some promising theses, with illustrations profuse enough to make them plausible. It remains to enlist special workers in sociology who will begin to subject sugges- tions of this nature to all the applicable scientific tests.
Albion W. Small.
