The Project Gutenberg EBook of Physics and Politics, or, Thoughts on the
application of the principles of "natural selection" and "inheritance" to political society, by Walter Bagehot

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Title: Physics and Politics, or, Thoughts on the application of the principles of "natural selection" and "inheritance" to political society

Author: Walter Bagehot

Posting Date: August 1, 2009 [EBook #4350]
Release Date: August, 2003
First Posted: January 12, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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PHYSICS AND POLITICS

OR THOUGHTS ON THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF 'NATURAL SELECTION'
AND 'INHERITANCE' TO POLITICAL SOCIETY

BY WALTER BAGEHOT

NEW AND CHEAPER EDITION (also published in the International Scientific
Series, crown 8vo. 5s.)

CONTENTS.

I. THE PRELIMINARY AGE
II. THE USE OF CONFLICT
III. NATION-MAKING
IV. NATION-MAKING
V. THE AGE OF DISCUSSION
VI. VERIFIABLE PROGRESS POLITICALLY CONSIDERED

NO. I.

THE PRELIMINARY AGE.

One peculiarity of this age is the sudden acquisition of much physical
knowledge. There is scarcely a department of science or art which is
the same, or at all the same, as it was fifty years ago. A new world of
inventions--of railways and of telegraphs--has grown up around us which
we cannot help seeing; a new world of ideas is in the air and affects
us, though we do not see it. A full estimate of these effects would
require a great book, and I am sure I could not write it; but I think I
may usefully, in a few papers, show how, upon one or two great points,
the new ideas are modifying two old sciences--politics and political
economy. Even upon these points my ideas must be incomplete, for the
subject is novel; but, at any rate, I may suggest some conclusions, and
so show what is requisite even if I do not supply it.

If we wanted to describe one of the most marked results, perhaps the
most marked result, of late thought, we should say that by it
everything is made 'an antiqu