270 THE SOCIAL THEORY OF GEORG SIMMEL
time series was far from scientific. As each change was
regarded primarily in the light of a later change, the series
of changes came to be regarded as one unitary immanent
process of change. The series of changes in the institution
came to be viewed as its evolution, as the mystical unfoldment
 of its immanent form. The result was that the
actual primary processes of change, the effective factors
and forces, were neglected. Not only did this type of investigation
 in the social fields not contribute to general
scientific knowledge, but it was not even satisfactory from
the point of view of history. The historical development
can be understood only on the basis of a knowledge of the
timeless laws, but the investigation required to find those
timeless laws was omitted.
The knowledge that the organic form, man, developed
 from the organic form, amoeba, and the economic
form, capitalism, from the economic form, tribal communism,
 through different intermediary stations is not of immediate
 practical value. Not the fact that capitalism developed
 out of tribal communism and the monogamic marriage
 out of general promiscuity is of importance, but the
causes of change at each point of change. The social sciences
 draw their material, of course, from historical data.
But they should use these data for the purpose of a general
induction which will lead to a timeless law. They should
use these data as Simmel uses them, without any consideration
 for their specific place in the time series. Historical
data can also be used for an inquiry into the so-called historical
 law, but that is the function of history, not of science.
 Science can fulfil its function only if it turns once
and for all, not only from all philosophic and historical
speculation, but also from all such concepts as evolution
and historical law.
The fact that the historical dimension as an end in itself
 has entirely disappeared out of Simmel’s method, and