The Social Sciences
Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences. 15 vols. Edited by Edwin R. A. Seligman, LL.D., and Alvin S. Johnson, Ph.D. Vols. I., 11. and III. (Macmillan. 31s. 6d. each vol.) THE first three volumes take us as far as " Commentators," which suggests that there will be need for compression at a later stage unless the number of volumes is to be increased : but some 350 pages of the first volume are occupied by two introductions on " The Development of Social Thought and Institutions " and " The Social Sciences as Disciplines." Each of these introductions is subdivided into a number of chapters contributed by different hands, with the result that they lack continuity and fail to present that real synthesis which the preface leads us to expect.
" The Development of Social Thought and Institutions " starts with Greece, and devotes a dozen chapters to specific aspects of social development selected, as it seems to us, in far too arbitrary a manner to give a comprehensive picture. The influence of Asia, for instance, is disposed of in a couple of pages introducing the chapter on the " Renaissance and Re- formation," which seems hardly adequate. The Editor-in- Chief starts the ball rolling with the query, " What are the social sciences ? " It is a disappointing chapter, and it will suffice to tabulate his conclusions. They consist, he concludes, of the purely social sciences, in which category he places politics, economics, history and jurisprudence, to which recent years have added anthropology, penology and sociology (" the social science par excellence "): the semi-social sciences of
ethics, education, philosophy and psychology : and fmally sciences which have social implications, such as biology, geography, medicine, linguistics and art. It is curious to find art given a scientific status, but possible objection is met by differentiating between its creative activities, Which are admittedly in contrast with science, and its domination by values which are, in part at least, of social origin.
The second introduction on " The Social Sciences as Disci- plines " need not detain us long. The disciplines are treated regionally and historically in eleven chapters of varying interest, but it comes as a shock to learn that so late as 1894 the science of economics was regarded with general indifference at our Uniyersities, while in this country anthropology had no place in University education till 1884, and sociology till twenty years later. It is :omething that the fight of the- social sciences for academic recognition in England is at la a winning to a satisfactory conclusion against the prejudice of vested interests.
The preface very rightly stresses the inter-dependence of the social sciences, and gives a concise statement of the aim' and scope of the Encyclopaedia and of the methods by which it is hoped that a satisfactory synthesis will be achieved. " In- tensive treatment (of each separate science) would be inappro- priate because the real object of the Encyclopaedia is not so much to exhaust each particular subject as to bring out in the respective topics the relations of each science to all the other relevant disciplines." All the important topics of the separate sciences are included, but their technique is disposed of with appropriate brevity. In form it is partly a handbook and partly a dictionary : that is, while the alphabetical method is followed, articles are included which vary in length from a few lines to as many as twenty thousand words. The international character of the contributors is stressed, though naturally and justly the American element predominates, and the Encyclo- paedia professes to cater both for the scholar (who should cer- tainly find it useful) and for the " general intelligentsia," as it is written in language from which scientific jargon has been largely eliminated, though what an educated reader will make of the stylistic character of the article on " Animism " it is difficult to imagine. Each article is followed by a short bibliography, and a comprehensive bibliography is promised for the last volume.
Let us admit at once that this is a monumental work, which will undoubtedly prove of value to any who are interested, academically or otherwise, in the social sciences. It is a great conception, and the only pity is that so many prominent names are missing from the list of contributors. It maintains a good level of scholarship, nevertheless, but the inclusion of certain names and the exclusion of others, neither of which need be specified, would have inspired more confidence that the high aims which the editors profess would be brought to fruition.
The Encyclopaedia proper is unequal in merit. In some respects the handbook of Sumner and Keller exercises too dominant an influence, suggesting that the material has been uncritically acquired at second hand. Certain articles written by recognized authorities, such as those on " Agriculture " and " Banking," or the long article by Franz Boas on " Anthro- pology," could not be bettered, though even in these there are some surprising omissions, such as the absence from the biblio- graphy of Dr. Firth's book on the primitive economics of the Maori. The " Calendar " provides one of the most interesting and readable articles, but " Capitalism " does not take sufficient note of Marxian views, and " Das Kapital " is un- accountably omitted from the bibliography. " Class Con- sciousness " shows Professor Ginsberg at his analytical best, and he is equally concise and to the point in " Association." The " Chiid " and " Adolescence " provide two interesting articles, and " Climate " not only gives a good survey of
climatic conditions throughout the world, together with the history and technique of meteorology, but correlates the subject with man and civilization in a very satisfactory way.
The article on the " Caliphate " is exceptionally well informed. Others, however, are too slight to be of any value, such as " Adoption " and " Cannibalism," and others again like " Chastity " and " Abduction " are marred by definite inaccu- racies and by too great an emphasis on the individual point of view. " Colonial Administration " is historically poor and burkes many of the major issues : the subject demanded an author of greater practical, as well as theoretical, experience. How widely the net has been cast may be seen from such titles as Action francaise," " Back-to-the-Land Movement," " Boss, Political " and " Blood Vengeance Feud " (a singularly cumbrous title). The biographies vary a great deal in quality, that on " Aristotle " being as excellent as Berkeley " is slight, and it is difficult to understand why some are included and
others of greater importance are omitted. If, for instance, we have George and Victor Adler, why not also Adler the psy-
chologist ? If the nonentity Arabi Ahmed is_incIndeck though his life had no bearing on the social sciences, why is Ahmed Baba omitted ? Archimedes, and Areopagu.s one would have thought to be as deserving of _inclusion as some of the lesser manifestations of social science.
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