PUBLISHED in December, 1850, this work in its original
form was entitled Social Statics: or, the Conditions essen-
tial to Human Happiness specified, and the first of them
developed. A number of years passed -- some ten, I think --
before the edition was exhausted; and as the demand seemed
not great enough to warrant the setting up of type for a new
edition, it was decided to import an edition from America,
where the work had been stereotyped. After this had been
disposed of a third edition was similarly imported.

In the meantime I had relinquished some of the conclu-
sions drawn from the first principle laid down. Further,
though still adhering to this first principle, one, of the bases
assigned for it had been given up by me. To the successive
editions I therefore prefixed the statement that some of the
doctrines set forth needed qualification; but excused myself
from making the changes called for, because they could not
be made without suspending more important work. Eventu-
ally, it became manifest that the warning given did not pre-
vent misinterpretations of my later beliefs; and, therefore,
ten years ago, after all copies of the third edition had been
sold, I resolved not again to import a supply to meet the still-
continued demand.

As, however, the fundamental idea enunciated, and many
of the deductions have survived in me, I have all along intend-
ed that these should be put in a permanently accessible form;
and in 1890 at leisure times I went through the work, eras-
ing some portions, abridging others, and subjecting the whole
to a careful verbal revision. Its purely systematic division
is now replaced by Part IV. of The Principles of Ethics:
Justice -- a part in which the ethical doctrine originally set

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