Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/424 410 THE
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY phenomena are as much natural
phenomena as physical phenomena, that spiritual forces are true
natural forces, and that there is a spiritual energy, /. <?., a
psychic and social energy, that is as capable of doing work as
any other form of kinetic energy. In fact, it is the highest and
most effective form of energy or vis viva" (p. 167). Now, this
may be true, but it certainly is a use of the terms "spiritual"
and "energy" for which the logic of modern science has not
prepared us. For the average scientist today the psychic and the
social, in so far as they are natural phenomena, admit of
explanation only in terms of the laws of natural science. It may
be that those laws are false or inadequate, but until this is
demonstrated he is justified in looking askance at this
"spiritual energy" that is "capable of doing work," at this vis
viva which claims to be the crowning instance of the
manifestation of natural forces. To be