In 1912 (see Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, Vol. 28, N. S., Vol. 21, 1913, Proceedings for 1912, p. xxxix), I called attention to the Herder-Taine problem on milieu. The paper discussing that problem awaits the completion of another paper entitled “Herder’s Conception of Milieu.” The latter was my starting point. Setting about to inform myself on the history of the theory, I determined to obtain for myself, if possible, a tolerably complete idea, at least in its essentials, of the theory of milieu, to see where the theory led to, where it started from, what changes it has undergone, and what were its ramifications. My plan was to state briefly my findings in a chapter preparatory to stating Herder’s idea of milieu. As guide-posts were lacking, at least I knew of none, I was bound to seek by accident and for a number of years. In stumbling along, I first chanced upon the Herder-Taine problem. When my material swelled to proportions that could not be controlled in part of a chapter or in a chapter, I had to separate it, by its main divisions, into parts. The question arose, should it be a concrete treatise on environment. I soon found that to be, at least for the time being, beyond my province and also beyond my present purpose; besides, it would have swerved me too far afield; moreover, it would have had to be limited to a small portion of the subject. My present concern in this theory being genetic and historical, it seemed best to assemble all the sources one could find bearing on the history of the theory and to indicate the trend of its development in a rough preliminary sketch. Such a sketch is a requisite first step and perhaps a modest contribution to a history of the theory under consideration. The first part of this sketch is herein given. The original plan, mentioned above, of a prefatory chapter to Herder accounts for the retention of untranslated passages in the text of this part, a practice to be eschewed in the subsequent parts of this study which are to appear shortly.

Nearly all the material was collected by October, 1915, and this manuscript was finished early in January, 1917.

I gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to Professor Martin SchÜtze of the University of Chicago for the suggestion, made in 1907, to find out what Herder’s idea of milieu is; to my friend and former colleague at the University of Illinois, Dr. Charles C. Adams (now Assistant Professor of Ecology at Syracuse University) for references given me at my request (but he is in no wise to be held responsible for the bringing in of these references); and to my good friend and colleague, Professor John Driscoll Fitz-Gerald of the University of Illinois for a number of helpful suggestions given when reading the manuscript and for assisting with the reading of the galley proof.