E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton, Turgut Dincer, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 24253-h.htm or 24253-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/2/3/24253/24253-h/24253-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/2/3/24253/24253-h.zip) +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's note: | | | | Bold words, phrases, etc. are surrounded by plus (+) signs, | | and italics by underscores (_). | | | | Alternative spellings of some words have been retained as | | they were used in the original book. | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ [Illustration: WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER (1902)] FOLKWAYS A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals by WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER Professor of Political and Social Science in Yale University 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, Sec. 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 Boston . New York . Chicago . London Atlanta . Dallas . Columbus . San Francisco Entered at Stationers' Hall Copyright, 1906, by William Graham Sumner All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America 733.1 +The Athenaeum Press+ Ginn and Company . Proprietors . Boston . U.S.A. PREFACE