414
The Green Bag
of the eminence of Giddings, Jellinek, Willoughby, and Edmond Kelly, not to
theories. In the main the treatment, however, is cautious and scholarly, and the book is a useful one in a new and
mention many others. On the other hand, this sentiment is by no means unanimous, and the distinguished advo cates of the organismic theory, in some
important field. Professor Garner has supplied an introductory text-book of such high excellence, on political science, that
one of its phases, have included writers
our only regret is that his abilities
like Gierke, Blutschli, Spencer and Comte. Of these Gierke is living, and his theories are marked by such contem porary vitality and importance as hardly
should have preparation rather than for scholars
to be capable of receiving adequate
so
treatment in a two-hundred page mono
Tarde,
Leroy-Beaulieu,
Gumplowia,
well
been concentrated on the of an elementary work, of that scientific treatise which he shows himself
qualified
to
write.
This
nineteenth century doctrines. While the
book has the merit of viewing a wide range of topics and giving a symmetrical exposition of the rudiments of political
writer has hardly underrated the organis
science, studied in proper perspective
mic theory in its extreme forms, he has
by a mind fully in touch with the ad
graph making a general examination of
possibly failed to pay due respect to
vanced tendencies of contemporary in
some of its later, saner manifestations. Moreover, there are some elements of truth in the organismic theory, as soci ety is always struggling to attain a
vestigation.
closer correlation of its parts, and the danger lies in the assumption not that
society has unity, but that this unity is absolute. If we go too far in denying the organic or quasi-organic unity of society we are apt to fall into the error
of propounding a doctrine just as arti
The writer has an admir
able mastery of the subject, and the style of the book is marked by clearness
and precision of statement and acuteness of analysis. In the conclusions sub mitted we find nothing of material im portance to invite criticism. The book, fortunately, does not en
croach upon the field either of descrip tive or of applied politics, confining itself to the purer and higher side of the
ficial and visionary as that from which we seek to escape. The author, in conveying the idea that every phase
science, and
the advantages of this
of the organismic theory is subject to criticism, tends to align himself with an individualistic school unlikely to sur vive late into the present century.
method adopted, of setting forth, by
mode of treatment are sufliciently obvi ous. Another advantage is found in the
we agree, our complaint being that he
means of numerous excerpts, the views of leading writers on the questions dis cussed. The student is thus enabled to familiarize himself with the discussion that the principal problems have called forth, and with the history of leading theories. He is thus placed in a better position to understand the more im portant issues than he would be by a treatise simply setting forth the views, however sound, of a single writer. The
has not been sufiiciently copious and
only drawback to this method of dis
specific in his criticisms of particular
cussion is the self-effacement it enforces
The importance of the subject would
have rendered a more extended treatise profitable. With the help of a fuller exposition of the views of the writers treated, their doctrines might have re
ceived more luminous discussion.
With
most of the author's general observations
