Folkways / A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals

Opening of the book

Transcriber's Note:

Alternative spellings of some words have been retained as they were used in the original book.

WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER

WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER (1902)

FOLKWAYS

A STUDY OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

OF USAGES, MANNERS, CUSTOMS,

MORES, AND MORALS

BY

WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER

PǡLjżŧǪǪLjǡ Ljż PLjƯƗǵƗŕĵƯ ĵƿŠ SLjŕƗĵƯ SŕƗŧƿŕŧ Ɨƿ YĵƯŧ UƿƗ΄ŧǡǪƗǵΏ

Thus it is clearly seen that use, rather than

reason, has power to introduce new things

amongst us, and to do away with old

things.—Castiglione, Il libro del Cortegiano, I,

§ 1.

That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat,

Of habits devil, is angel yet in this,

That to the use of actions fair and good

He likewise gives a frock or livery,

That aptly is put on.—Hamlet, III, 4.

What custom wills, in all things should we

do't.

Coriolanus, II, 3.

GINN AND COMPANY

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EƿǵŧǡŧŠ ĵǵ SǵĵǵƗLjƿŧǡǪ' HĵƯƯ

CLjǙΏǡƗƄƒǵ, 1906, œΏ

WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

733.1

The Athenæum Press

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PREFACE

In 1899 I began to write out a text-book of sociology from material which I had used in lectures during the previous ten or fifteen years.

At a certain point in that undertaking I found that I wanted to introduce my own treatment of the "mores." I could not refer to it anywhere in print, and I could not do justice to it in a chapter of another book. I therefore turned aside to write a treatise on the

"Folkways," which I now offer. For definitions of "folkways" and

"mores" see secs. 1, 2, 34, 39, 43, and 66. I formed the word

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