Review of Reviews,  19 (1899), 387–93.

The Book of the Month. The Temperance Problem and Social Reform

Anon

Genre:

Regular Feature, Abstract

Publications abstracted:

Rowntree and Sherwell 1899

Subjects:

Sociology, Political Economy, Natural Law, Railways, Methodology, Induction, Temperance


    Claims that many current approaches to social problems are 'theoretically and morally perfect, and are constructed with scrupulous regard to all accepted laws of political economy. Their only defect is that in practice they are unworkable. Many of the locomotives which competed with Stephenson's "Puffing Billy" were built in accordance with recognised rules. They should have moved, but they did not. It is the same with many proposals for social reform which are enthusiastically supported to-day'. The authors of the present book on temperance, however, 'have approached the subject from the point of view of the scientific investigator who desires to discover the essential facts of the problem, and not with any preconceived theory for which they hoped to find supporting evidence' (387).



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