REVIEWS 693
£tude de Psychologie Sociale. Par G. Tarde. Paris : V. Giard et Briere, i8q8. Pp. 326.
This volume is a collection of essays, most of which originally appeared as contributions to periodicals and the proceedings of societies. In many cases one recognizes materials which have been organized into the more comprehensive system of Tarde as presented in his three volumes : Les lots de ['imitation, La logique sociale, L opposition universelle. The rather miscellaneous character of the contents of this recent book is evident from a glance at the list of essays, which includes :
La sociologie. La jeunesse criminelle.
Les deux elements de la socio- Souvenirs de transports judici-
logie. aires.
Le transformisme social. La graphologie.
L'idee de 1" "organisme social." Sympathie et synthase.
Criminality et sante sociale. La sociologie de M. Giddings.
La criminalite professionelle. Crimes, delits, contraventions.
The first paper, on " Sociology," is a clear account of the various analogies by which social relationships have been interpreted. It is designed to show how the mechanical and organic conceptions have given way to the psychological method of explanation. It can hardly be said that anything new appears in these pages, but the treatment is at once vigorous and attractive.
The second essay, on " The Two Elements of Sociology," is inspired by Durkheim's theory of the objectivity of social phenomena. Tarde attacks this point of view with all the force of his logic and ridicule. He insists that the role of consciousness is the chief part in the social drama. He characterizes very cleverly the tendency to e.xplain social phenomena by means of terms which are themselves simply labels for mystery. Thus, he remarks, " there is a fetich, a deus ex machitia, which the newer sociologists use as an 'open sesame' whenever they are embarrassed, and it is high time to call attention to this abuse, which is really becoming a source of anxiety. This talismanic explanation is le milieu. When this word is invoked, all has been said" (p. 78).
The discussion of "Social Evolution" is in reality a review of De Greef's volume. As we should expect, Tarde criticises what he regards as the doctrinaire theory of the Belgian professor, whom he declares to be too much dominated by the Comtean tradition.
In the paper on "The Idea of the Social Organism" Tarde finds
