Evenlanguagesandnationalcharacteristics,ifthepeoplereallycareaboutthem,canbe,andinfactare,preservedinspiteofpoliticalabsorptionandtheassimilatingpowerofcommunication。Thereisnothingmorenotableinrecenthistorythanthepersistenceofnationality,evenwhen,asinPoland,ithaslostitspoliticalexpression;and,astolanguages,itissaidthatmany,suchasRoumanian,Bulgarian,Servian,Finnish,NorskandFlemish,haverevivedandcomeintoliteraryandpopularuseduringthenineteenthcentury。Mr。Lecky,inhis“DemocracyandLiberty“[4]declaredthat“therehasbeeninmanyformsamarkedtendencytoaccentuatedistinctnationalandlocaltypes。”
Toassumethatafreeconcourseofideaswillproduceuniformityistobegthewholequestion。Ifitbetruethatmenhaveanaturaldiversityofgifts,freeintercourseshouldfavoritsdevelopment,especiallywhenweconsiderthatstronginstinctwhichcausesmantotakepleasurein,(97)distinguishinghimself,andtoabhortobelostinthecrowd。And,asregardstheactualtendencyofmodernlife,onlyanobstinateapriorireasonerwillmaintainwithanyconfidencethedeclineofindividuality。
Thosewhochargethatwepossessitinextravagantexcesshaveatleastanequalshowofreason。
Nor,fromthestandpointofsentiment,doesthemodern’expansionoffeelingandlargersenseofunitytendnecessarilytoalossofindividuality。
Thereisnoprospectthatself-feelingandambitionwillbe“lostinlove’sgreatunity。”[5]Onthecontrarythesesentimentsarefosteredbyfreedom,andareratherguidedthanrepressedbysympathy。
Inatrulyorganiclifetheindividualisself-consciousanddevotedtohisownwork,butfeelshimselfandthatworkaspartofalargeandjoyouswhole。Heisself-assertive,justbecauseheisconsciousofbeingathreadinthegreatwebofevents,ofservingeffectuallyasamemberofafamily,astate,ofhumanity,andofwhatevergreaterwholehisfaithmaypicture。Ifwehavenotyetanorganicsocietyinthissense,wehaveatleastthemechanicalconditionsthatmustunderlyit。
Endnotes,IntroductiontoSocialPhilosophy,110。Nature’sWay,Harper’sMagazine,July,1904。ANewEnglandHillTown。TheAtlantieMonthly,April,1899。I,501。TheconcludinglineofE。W。Sill’spoem,DareYou?,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter10:ModernCommunication:
SuperficialityandStrain,CHAPTERX
MODERNCOMMUNICATION:
SUPERFICIALITYANDSTRAIN,STIMULATINGEFFECTOFMODERNLIFE——SUPERFICIALITY——
STRAIN——PATHOLOGICALEFFECTS
Theactionofthenewcommunicationisessentiallystimulating,andsomay,insomeofitsphases,beinjurious。Itcoststheindividualmoreinthewayofmentalfunctiontotakeanormalpartintheneworderofthingsthanitdidintheold。Notonlyishisoutlookbroader,sothatheisincitedtothinkandfeelaboutawiderrangeofmatters,butheisrequiredtobeamorethorough-goingspecialistinthemasteryofhisparticularfunction;bothextensionandintensionhavegrown。Generalcultureandtechnicaltrainingarealikemoreexigentthanthe:usedtobe,andtheirdemandsvisiblyincreasefromyeartoyear,notonlyintheschoolsbutinlifeatlarge。Themanwhodoesnotmeetthemfallsbehindtheprocession,andbecomesinsomesenseafailure:eitherunabletomakealiving,ornarrowandoutoftouchwithgenerousmovements。
Fortunately,fromthispointofview,ourmentalfunctionsareasarulerathersluggish,sothatthespurofmodernintercourseisforthemostpartwholesome,awakeningthemind,abatingsensuality,andgivingmenideaandpurpose。Suchilleffectasmaybeascribedtoit,(99)seemstofallchieflyunderthetwoheads,superficialityandstrain,whichthereaderwillperceivetobeanotherviewofthatenlargementandanimationdiscussedinthelastchapterbutone。
Thereisarathergeneralagreementamongobserversthat,outsideofhisspecialty,themanofoursomewhathurriedcivilizationisapttohaveanimpatient,touchandgohabitofmindasregardsboththoughtandfeeling。
Wearetryingtodomanyandvariousthings,andaredriventoversatilityandshortcutsatsomeexpensetotruthanddepth。“Thehabitofinattention,“
saidDeTocquevilleabout1835,“mustbeconsideredasthegreatestdefectofthedemocraticcharacter“[1];andrecentlyhisjudgmenthasbeenconfirmedbyOstrogorski,whothinksthatdeliverancefromthebondsofspaceandtimehasmadetheAmericanamanofshortviews,weddedtothepresent,accustomedtogettingquickreturns,andwithnodeeprootanywhere。[2]Wehavereducedennuiconsiderably;butamoderateennuiisjustlyreckonedbyComteandothersasoneofthespringsofprogress,anditisnounmixedgoodthatwearetoobusytobeunhappy。
Inthismatter,asinsomanyothers,weshoulddiscriminate,sofaraswecan,betweenpermanentconditionsofmodernlifeandwhatisduemerelytochange,betweendemocracyandconfusion。Thereisnothinginthenatureofdemocracytopreventitsattaining,whentransitionhassomewhatabated,adiverseandstableorganizationofits,(100)ownsort,withgreatadvantagetoourspiritualcomposureandproductivity。
Inthemeanwhileitisbeyonddoubtthattheconstantandvariedstimulusofaconfusedtimemakessustainedattentiondifficult。Certainlyourpopularliteratureiswrittenforthosewhorunastheyread,andcarriestheprincipleofeconomyofattentionbeyondanythingpreviouslyimagined。Andinfeelingitseemstobetruethatwetendtowardasomewhatsuperficialkindlinessandadaptability,ratherthansustainedpassionofanykindGenerallyspeaking,mindisspreadoutverythinoverourcivilization;agoodsortofmind,nodoubt,butquitethin。
Allthismaybecounteractedinvariousways,especiallybythoroughnessineducation,andisperhapstoberegardedaslackofmaturityratherthanasincurabledefect。
Mentalstrain,inspiteofthealarmingopinionssometimesexpressed,isbynomeansageneralconditioninmodernsociety,norlikelytobecomeso;itisconfinedtoarelativelysmallnumber,inwhomindividualweakness,orunusualstress,orboth,hasrenderedlifetoomuchforthespirit。
Yetthisnumberincludesagreatpartofthosewhoperformthemoreexactingintellectualfunctionsinbusinessandtheprofessions,aswellaspeculiarlyweak,orsensitive,orunfortunateindividualsinallwalksoflife。Ingeneralthereisanincreaseofself-consciousnessandchoice;thereismoreopportunity,moreresponsibility,morecomplexity,agreaterburdenuponintelligence,willandcharacter。Theindividualnotonlycanbutmustdealwithafloodofurgentsuggestions,orbeswamped,(101)bythem。“Thisagethatblotsoutlifewithquestionmarks“[3]forcesustothinkandchoosewhetherwearereadyornot。
Worse,probably,thananythinginthewayofwork?thoughthatisoftendestructive——istheanxiousinsecurityinwhichourchanginglifekeepsalargepartofthepopulation,thewell-to-doaswellasthepoor。Andaneducatedandimaginativepeoplefeelssuchanxietiesmorethanonedeadenedbyignorance。“InAmerica,“saidDeTocqueville,“Isawthefreestandmostenlightenedmenplacedinthehappiestcircumstanceswhichtheworldaffords;itseemedtomeasifacloudhabituallyhungupontheirbrows,andIthoughtthemseriousandalmostsad,evenintheirpleasures。”[4]
NotlongagoMr。H。D。Sedgwickcontributedtoamagazineastudyofwhathecalled“TheNewAmericanType,[5]basedonanexhibitionofEnglishandAmericanportraits,somerecent,someacenturyold。Hefoundthattilemorerecentwereconspicuouslymarkedbythesignsofunrestandstrain。SpeakingofMr。Sargent’ssubjectshesays,“Theobviousqualitiesinhisportraitsaredisquiet,lackofequilibrium,absenceofprinciple,……amindunoccupiedbytherightfulheirs,asifthehomeofprincipleanddogmahadbeentransformedintoaninnforwayfarers。Sargent’swomenaremoremarkedthanhismen;women,asphysicallymoredelicate,arethefirsttorevealthestrainofphysicalandpsychicalmaladjustment。Thethinspiritoflifeshiverspatheticallyin,(102)its’fleshlydress’;intheintensityofitseagernessitisallunconsciousofitsspiritualfidgetingonfindingitselfastray梟opath,noblazings,theoldforgotten,thenewnotformed。”TheearlyAmericans,hesays,“werenotlimbermindedmen,notreadilyagnostic,notnicelysceptical;theywere……eighteenthcenturyEnglishmen。”OfReynolds’
womenheobserves,“Theseladiesledlivesunvexed;naturalaffections,afewbriefsaws,ahalf。dozenprinciples,kepttheirbrowssmooth,theircheeksripe,theirlipsmostwooable。”Peoplehad“astablephysiqueandawell-ordered,logical,dogmaticphilosophy,’Theolderportraits“chantachorusofpraisefornationalcharacter,forclassdistinctions,fordogmaandbelief,forcharacter,forgoodmanners,forhonor,forcontemplation,forvisiontolookuponlifeasawhole,forappreciationthattheworldistobeenjoyed,forfreedomfromdemocracy,forcapacityinlightermoodtotreatexistenceasacomedytoldbyGoldoni。”[6]
Thismayormaynotbedispassionatelyjust,butitsetsforthonesideofthecase梐sidethemorepertinentforbeingunpopular梐ndsuggestsaveryrealthoughintangibledifferencebetweenthepeopleofourtimeandthoseofacenturyago梠newhichallstudentsmusthavefelt。ItiswhatwefeelinliteraturewhenwecomparethepeopleofJaneAustenwiththose,letussay,oftheauthorofTheHouseofMirth。
Idonotproposetoinquirehowfartheeffectsofstrainmaybeseeninanincreaseofcertaindistinctlypathologicalphenomena,suchasneurasthenia,theuseofdrugs,(103)insanityandsuicide。Thatithasanimportantworkinginthisway梔ifficult,however,toseparatefromthatofOtherfactors梚sgenerallyconceded。Inthegrowthofsuicideweseemtohaveastatisticaldemonstrationofthedestructiveeffectofsocialstressatitsworst;andofgeneralparalysis,whichisrapidlyincreasingandhasbeencalledthediseaseofthecentury,wearetoldthat“itisthediseaseofexcess,ofvice,ofoverwork,ofprolongedworry;itisespeciallythediseaseofgreaturbancentres,anditsexistenceusuallyseemstoshowthattheorganismhasentereduponacompetitiveraceforwhichitisnotfullyequipped。”
Endnotes,DemocracyinAmerica,vol。ii,bookiii,chap。15。DemocracyandtheOrganizationofPoliticalParties,ii,J。R。Lowell,TheCathedral,DemoeracyinAmerica,volii,bookii,chap。13,Sincepublishedinabookhavingthistitle。101,TheAtlanticMonthly,April,1904。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter11:TheEnlargementof,Consciousness,CHAPTERXI
THEENLARGEMENTOFCONSCIOUSNESS,Narrownessofconsciousnessintribalsociety——Importanceofface-to-faceassembly——Individuality——Subconsciouscharacterofwiderrelations——Enlargementofconsciousness——Irregularityingrowth——Breadthofmodernconsciousness——DemocracyINalifelikethatoftheTeutonictribesbeforetheytookonRomancivilization,thesocialmediumwassmall,limitedformostpurposestothefamily,clanorvillagegroup。Withinthisnarrowcircletherewasavividinterchangeofthoughtandfeeling,asphereofmoralunity,ofsympathy,loyalty,honorandcongenialintercourse。Hereprecioustraditionswerecherished,andherealsowasthefieldforanactivepublicopinion,forsuggestionanddiscussion,forleadingandfollowing,forconformityanddissent“Inthiskindlysoilofthefamily,“saysProfessorGummerinhisGermanicOrigins,“flourishedsuchgrowthofsentimentasthatroughlifebroughtforth。Peace,good-will,thesenseofhonor,loyaltytofriendandkinsman,brotherlyaffection,allwereplantsthatfoundintheGermanichomethatcongenialwarmththeyneededfortheirearlieststagesofgrowth……
Originallythefamilyorclanmadeadefinitesphereorsystemoflife;
Outsideofitthehomelessmanfeltindeedthatchaoshadcomeagain。”[1]
(108)
Whenwesaythatpublicopinionismodern,wemeanofcourse,thewiderandmoreelaborateformsofit。Onasmallerscaleithasalwaysexistedwherepeoplehavehadachancetodiscussandactuponmattersofcommoninterest。AmongourAmericanIndians,forexample,“Opinionwasamostpotentfactorinalltribes,andthiswouldbelargelydirectedbythosehavingpopularityandpower。Officers,infactallpersons,becameex。
tremelywellknowninthesmallcommunityofanAmerindtribe。Everypeculiarityoftemperamentwasunderstood,andtheindividualwasrespectedordespisedaccordingtohispredominatingcharacteristics。Thosewhowereboldandfierceandfullofstrategyweremadewar-chiefs,whilethosewhopossessedjudgmentanddecisionweremadecivilchiefsorgovernors。”[2]TheGermanictribeswereaccustomedtoassembleinthosevillagemootstowhichthehistorianrecurswithsuchreverence,where“themenfromwhomEnglishmenweretospringlearnedtheworthofpublicopinion,ofpublicdiscussion,theworthoftheagreement,the’common-sense’towhichdiscussionleads,asofthelawswhichderivetheirforcefrombeingexpressionsofthatgeneralconviction。”[3]
Discussionandpublicopinionofthissimplesort,aseveryoneknows,takesplacealsoamongchildrenwherevertheyminglefreely。Indeed,itspringssodirectlyfromhumannature,andissodifficulttosuppressevenbythemostinquisitorialmethods,thatwemayassumeittoexistlocallyinallformsofsocietyandatallperiodsofhistoryItgrowsbylooksandgestureswhere,(109)speechisforbidden,sothateveninaprisonthereispublicOpinionamongtheinmates。Butintriballifetheselocalgroupscontainedallthevividandconscioussocietytherewas,thelackofmeansofrecordandofquicktransmissionmakingawiderunityimpracticable。
Intheabsenceofindirectcommunicationpeoplehadtocomeintoface-to-facecontactinordertofeelsocialexcitementandrisetothehigherphasesofconsciousness。Hencegames,feastsandpublicassembliesofeverysortmeantmoretothegenerallifethantheydoinourday。Theyweretheoccasionsofexaltation,thetheatreforthedisplayofeloquenceeitherindiscussingquestionsofthemomentorrecountingdeedsofthepast梐ndforthepracticeofthoserhythmicexercisesthatcombineddancing,acting,poetryandmusicinonecomprehensiveandcommunalart。Suchassembliesarepossiblymoreancientthanhumannatureitself梥incehumannatureimpliesaprecedingevolutionofgrouplife梐ndinsomeprimitiveformofthemspeechitselfissupposedbysometohavebeenborn。Justaschildreninventwordsintheeagernessofplay,andslangarisesamonggangsofboysonthestreet,sotheearliestmenwereperhapsincitedtotheinventionoflanguagebyacertainecstasyandself-forgettingaudacity,likethatofthepoetsprungfromtheexcitementoffestalmeetings。[4]
SomethingofthespiritoftheseprimitiveassembliesIsperhapsreproducedinthesocialexaltationofthosefestaleveningsaroundthecamp-firewhichmanyofuscanrecall,withindividualandgroupsongs,chants,“stunts“
andthe,(110)like;whentherewerenotwantingoriginal,almostimpromptu,compositions梒elebratingnotabledeedsorsatanizingconspicuousindividuals梬hichthecommonexcitementgeneratedinthemindsofoneormoreingeniouspersons。
Itissometimessaidthattheindividualcountedfornothingintriballife,thatthefamilyortheclanwastheunitofsociety,inwhichallpersonalitiesweremerged’Fromthestandpointoforganizationthereismuchtruthinthis;thatisthegroupofkindredwasformanypunposes(political,economic,religious,etc。)acorporateunit,actingasawholeandresponsibleasawholetotherestofsociety;sothatpunishmentofwrong-doing,forex。ample,wouldbeexactedfromthegroupratherthanfromtheparticularoffender。Buttakenpsychologically,tomeanthattherewasalackofself-assertion,theideaiswith。outfoundation。Onthecontrary,thebarbaricmindexaltsanaggressiveandevenextravagantindividuality。
Achillesisafairsampleofitsheroes,mightyinvalorandprowess,butvain,arrogantandresentful?whatweshouldbeapttocallanindividualist。[5]ThemenoftheNiebelungenlied,ofBeowulf,ofNorseandIrishtalesandofourIndianlegendsareverymuchlikehim。
Consider,also,thepersonalinitiativedisplayedinuheformationofawar-partyamongtheOmahas,asdescribedbyDorsey,andnotehowlittleitdiffersfromthewayinwhichcommercialandotherenterprisesarestartedatthepresentday。
(111)
“Itisgenerallyayoungmanwhodecidestoundertakeanexpeditionagainsttheenemy。Havingformedhisplanhespeaksthustohisfriend:
’Myfriend,asIwishtogoonthewarpath,letusgo。Letusboilthefoodasforafeast。’Thefriendhavingconsented,thetwoaretheleaders……iftheycaninduceotherstofollowthem。Sotheyfindtwoyoungmenwhomtheysendasmessengerstoinvitethosewhomtheyname……Whenallhaveassembledtheplanneroftheexpeditionaddressesthecompany。
’Ho!myfriends,myfriendandIhaveinvitedN’OUtoafeast,becausewewishtogoonthewarpath。’Theneachonewhoiswillingtogorepliesthus:’Yes,myfriend,Iamwilling。’Buthewhoisunwillingreplies,’Myfriend,Idonotwishtogo,Iamunwilling。’Sometimesthehostsays,’Letusgobysuchaday。Prepareyourselves。’“[6]
Thewholeproceedingremindsonealsoofthewaygamesareinitiatedamongboys,theonewho“getsitup“havingtherighttoclaimthebestposition。Nodoubtthestructureofsometribalsocietiespermittedoflessinitiativethanothers;butsuchdifferencesexistatallstagesofculture。
Self-feeling,self-assertionandthegeneralrelationoftheindividualtothegrouparemuchthesameatallepochs,andtherewasneveratimesincemanbecamehumanwhen,aswesometimesread,“personalityemerged“Changehastakenplacechieflyintheextentandcharacterofthegrouptowhichtheindividualappeals,andinthewaysinwhichhetriestodistinguish,(112)himself。TheGermanictribesman,themediaevalknight,theRenaissanceartistorscholarandthemoderncaptainofindustryarealikeambitious:
itistheobjectthatdiffers。Therehasindeedbeenadevelopmentofpersonalityinhistory,butithasbeencorrelativewiththatofthegenerallife,andhasbroughtnoessentialchangeintherelationbetweenthetwo。
Intriballife,then,sincetheconditionsdidnotadmitofwiderunification,publicconsciousnesscouldbeonlylocalinscope。Beyonditsnarrowrangethecordswhichheldlifetogetherwereofasubconsciouscharacter?heredity,ofcourse,withitsfreightofmentalandsocialtendency;oraltradition,oftenvagueanddevious,andamassofcustomthatwasreveredwithoutbeingunderstood。Thesewiderrelations,notbeingsurveyedanddiscussed,couldnotbetheobjectsofdeliberatethoughtandwill,butwereacceptedaspartofthenecessaryorderofthings,andusuallyascribedtosomedivinesource。Inthiswaylanguage,laws,religion,formsofgovernment,socialclasses,traditionalrelationstootherclansortribes梐llofwhichweknowtohavebeenbuiltupbythecumulativeworkingsofthehumanmind梬erethoughtofasbeyondthesphereofman’scontrol。
Thewiderunityexisted,thenasnow;humandevelopmentwascontinuousintimeand,afterablindfashion,cooperativeamongcontemporaries。Thetoolsoflifewereprogressivelyinventedandspreadbyimitationfromtribetotribe,thefittestalwaystendingtosurvive;butonlytheimmediatedetailsofsuchchangesweremattersofconsciousness:asprocessestheywerebeyondhuman,(113)cognizance。Amanmightadaptanancientcustomtoafreshemergency,buthewouldbeunawarethathewasshapingthegrowthofinstitutions。
Therewasevenatribalornationalopinion,ofaslow?subconscioussortagrowthandIconsensusofideauponmattersofgeneralandenduringinterest,suchasreligion,marriageandgovernment。And,underunusualpressure,somemoreconsciousunityofspiritmightbearoused,asamongtheGermansorGaulsconfederatedagainstRome;butthiswaslikelytobetransient。
Thecentralfactofhistory,fromapsychologicalpointofview,maybesaidtobethegradualenlargementofsocialconsciousnessandrationalcooperation。Themindconstantly,thoughperhapsnotregularly,extendsthespherewithinwhichitmakesitshigherpowersvalid。Humannature,possessedofidealsmouldedinthefamilyandthecommune,iseverstriving,somewhatblindlyforthemostpart,withthosedifficultiesofcommunicationandorganizationwhichobstructtheirrealizationonalargerscale。Whetherprogressisgeneralornotweneednotnowinquire;itiscertainthatgreatgainshavebeenmadebythemorevigorousorfortunateraces,andthattheseareregardedwithemulationandhopebymanyoftheothers。
ThroughoutmodernEuropeanhistory,atleast,therehasbeenanevidentextensionofthelocalareaswithinwhichcommunicationandcooperationprevail,and,onthewhole,anadvanceinthequalityofcooperationasjudgedbyanidealmoralunity。Ithastendedtobecomemore,(114)freeandhuman,moreadequatelyexpressiveofcommunalfeeling。
Perhapsallapparentdeparturesfromthistendencymayplausiblybeexplainedascasesofirregulargrowth。Ifwefindthatvastsystemsofdiscipline,liketheRomanEmpire,havebrokendown,wefindalsothatthesesystemswereofalowtype,psychologically,thatthebestfeaturesofthemwereafterallpreserved,andthatthenewsystemsthatarose,thoughperhapslessinextent,wereonthewholeahigherandfullerexpressionofhumannature。
InthelaterEmpire,forexample,itseemsplainthatsocialmechanism(initsproperkindandmeasureoneoftheconditionsoffreedom)hadgrowninsuchawayastoshacklethehumanmind。Inordertoachieveandmaintainanimperialreachofcontrol,thestatehadgraduallybeenforcedtotakeonacentralizedbureaucraticstructure,whichlefttheindividualandthelocalgroupnosphereofself-reliantdevelopment。Publicspiritandpoliticalleadershipweresuppressed,andthehabitoforganizedself-expressiondiedout,leavingthepeoplewithoutgroupvitalityandashelplessaschildren。Theywerenot,ingeneral,cowardsorvoluptuaries梚tseemsthatthedeclineofcourageanddomesticmoralshasbeenexaggeratedbuttheyhadnotrainedandeffectivepubliccapacity。Society,asProfessorDillsays,hadbeenelaboratelyanddeliberatelystereotyped。
Thedeclineofvitalityandinitiativepervadedallspheresoflife。
Therewerenoinventionsandlittleindustrialoragriculturalprogressofanykind。Literaturede-
(115)-generatedintorhetoric:“Inthesamemanner,“saysLonginus,“assomechildrenalwaysremainpigmies,whoseinfantlimbshavebeentoocloselyconfined,thusourtenderminds,fetteredbytheprejudicesandhabitsofajustservitude,areunal~letoexpandthemselves,ortoattainthatwell-proportionedgreatnesswhichweadmireintheancients,who,livingunderapopulargovernment,wrotewiththesamefreedomastheyacted。”[7]
Thegrowingstatesoftheearlierworldwereconfronted,whethertheyknewitornot,withanirreconcilableoppositionbetweenfreedomandexpansion。
Theymightretaininsmallareasthosesimpleandpopularinstitutionswhichnearlyallthegreatpeoplesstartedwith,andtowhichtheyowedtheirvigor;ortheycouldorganizeonalargerscaleamoremechanicalunity。Inthefirstcasetheircareerswerebrief,becausetheylackedthemilitaryforcetoensurepermanenceinahostileworld。Inthelattertheyincurred,bythesuppressionofhumannature,thatdegeneracywhichsoonerorlaterovertookeverygreatstateofantiquity。
Insomesuchwayasthiswemay,perhaps,disposeoftheienumerableinstanceswhichhistoryshowsofthefailureoffreeorganization梐sinthedecayofancientandmediaevalcityrepublics。Notonlywastheirfreedomofimperfectnatureatthebest,buttheyweretoosmalltoholdtheirowninaworldthatwasnecessarily,forthemostpart,autocraticorcustomary。
Freedom,thoughinitselfaprincipleofstrength,wasontoolittleascaletodefenditself。“Ifarepublicbesmall,“saidMontes-
(116)-quieu,“itisdestroyedbyaforeignforce;ifitbelargeitisruinedbyinternalimperfection。”[8]
Buthowsplendid,inliterature,inart,andevenin|arms,weremanyofthesefailures。HowwelldidAthens,FlorenceandahundredothercitiesillustratetheintrinsicIstrengthandfecundityofthatfreeprincipletowhichmodernconditionspermitanindefiniteexpansion。
Thepresentepoch,then,bringswithitalargerand,potentiallyatleast,ahigherandfreerconsciousness。Intheindividualaspectoflifethismeansthateachoneofushas,asarule,awidergraspofsituations,andisthusinapositiontogiveawiderapplicationtohisintelligence,sympathyandconscience。Inproportionashedoesthisheceasestobeablindagentandbecomesarationalmemberofthewhole。
Becauseofthismoreconsciousrelationtothelargerwholes梟ations,institutions,tendencies梙etakesamorevitalandpersonalpartinthem。
Hisself-feelingattachesitself,asitsnatureis,totheobjectofhisfreeactivity,andhetendstofeelthat“loveofthemakerforhiswork,“
thatspiritualidentificationofthememberwiththewhole,whichistheidealoforganization。
DeTocquevillefoundthatintheUnitedStatestherewasnoproletariat。
“Thatnumerousandturbulentmultitudedoesnotexist,whoregardingthelawastheirnaturalenemylookuponitwithfearanddistrust。Itisimpossible,onthecontrary,nottoperceivethatallclasses……areattachedtoitbyakindofparentalaffection。”[9]
(117)And,notwithstandingadeepandwell-grounded“socialunrest,“
thisremainsessentiallytrueatthepresentday,andshouldbetrueofallrealdemocracy。Wherethestateisdirectlyandobviouslyfoundeduponthethoughtofthepeopleitisimpossibletogetupmuchfundamentalantagonismtoit;theenergiesofdiscontentareabsorbedbymoderateagitation。
Theextensionofreachandchoicefavors,inthelongrun,notonlypoliticalbuteverykindofopportunityandfreedom。Itopenstotheindividualamorevital,self-determinedandenergeticpartinallphasesofthewhole。
Atthesametime,thelimitsofhumanfacultymakeitimpossiblethatanyoneofusshouldactuallyoccupyallthefieldofthoughtthusopentohim。Althoughstimulatedtogreateractivitythanbefore,onemustconstantlyselectandrenounce;andmostofhislifewillstillbeontheplaneofcustomandmechanism。Heisfreerchieflyinthathecansurveythelargerwholeandchooseinwhatrelationshewillexpresshimself。
Indeed,anever-presentdangeroftheneworderisthatonewillnotselectandrenounceenough,thathewillswallowmorethanhecanproperlydigest,andfailofthebenefitsofathoroughsubconsciousassimilation。
Themoreonestudiescurrentlife,themoreheisinclinedtolookuponsuperficialityasitsleasttractabledefect。
Thenewconditionsdemandalsoathorough,yetdiversifiedandadaptable,systemoftrainingfortheindividualwhoistoshareinthisfreerandmoreexigentsocietyWhiledemocracyasaspiritisspontaneous,onlythefullestdevelopmentofpersonalfacultycanmakethisspiriteffectualonagreatscale。Ourconfidenceinour,(118)instinctsneednotbeshaken,butourapplicationofthemmustbeenlargedandenlightened。Wemustbetaughttodosomeonethingwell,andyetneverallowedtoloseoursenseoftherelationofthatonethingtothegeneralendeavor。
ThegeneralorpublicphaseoflargerconsciousnessiswhatwecallDemocracy。Imeanbythisprimarilytheorganizedswayofpublicopinion。
Itworksoutalsoinatendencytohumanizethecollectivelife,tomakeinstitutionsexpressthehigherimpulsesofhumannature,insteadofbrutalormechanicalconditions。Thatwhichmostinwardlydistinguishesmodernlifefromancientormediaevalistheconsciouspowerofthecommonpeopletryingtoeffectuatetheirinstincts。Allsystemsrest,inasense,uponpublicopinion;butthepeculiarityofourtimeisthatthisopinionismoreandmorerationalandself-determining。Itisnot,asinthepast,amerereflectionofconditionsbelievedtobeinevitable,butseeksprineiples,findstheseprinciplesinhumannature,andisdeterminedtoconformlifetothemorknowwhynot。Inthisallearnestpeople,intheirdiverseways,aretakingpart。
Wefind,ofcourse,thatbutlittlecanbecarriedoutonthehighestmoralplane;themindcannotattendtomanythingswiththatconcentrationwhichachievesadequateexpression,andtheprincipleofcompensationiseveratwork。Ifonethingiswelldone,othersareoverlooked,sothatweareconstantlybeingcaughtandgroundinourownneglectedmechanism。
Onthewhole,however,thelargermindinvolvesa,(119)democraticandhumanistictrendineveryphaseoflife。Arightdemocracyissimplytheapplicationonalargescaleofprincipleswhichareuniversallyfelttoberightasappliedtoasmallgroup梡rinciplesoffreecooperationmotivedbyacommonspiritwhicheachservesaccordingtohiscapacity。Mostofwhatischaracteristicofthetimeisevidentlyofthisnature;as,forinstance,oursentimentoffairplay,ourgrowingkindliness,ourcultofwomanhood,ourrespectforhandlabor,andourendeavortoorganizesocietyeconomicallyoron“businessprinciples。”
Anditisperhapsequallyevidentthattheideaswhichthesereplace梠fcaste,ofdomination,ofmilitaryglory,of“conspicuousleisure“[10]andthelike梥prangfromasecondaryandartificialsystem,basedonconditionswhichforbadealargerealizationofprimaryideals。
Maywenotsay,speakinglargely,thattherehasalwaysbeenademocratictendency,whoseadvancehasbeenconditionedbythepossibility,underactualconditions,oforganizingpopularthoughtandwillonawidescale?
Freecooperationisnaturalandhuman;ittakesplacespontaneouslyamongchildrenontheplayground,amongsettlersinnewcountries,andamongthemostprimitivesortsofmen梕verywhere,inshort,wherethesecondaryandartificialdisciplinehasnotsupplantedit。Thelatter,includingeverysortofcoerciveormechanicalcontrolisofcourse,naturalinthelargersense,andfunctionalinhumandevelopment;buttheremusteverbesomeresistancetoit,whichwilltendtobecomeeffectivewhenthecontrolceasestobemaintainedbythepressureofex-
(120)-pediency。Accordinglyweseethatthroughoutmodernhistory,andespeciallyduringthepastcentury,therehasbeenaprogressivehumanism,astrivingtoclearawaylowerformsofcooperationnolongeressential,andtosubstitutesomethingcongenialtonaturalimpulse。
Discussionregardingthecomparativemeritsofmonarchy,aristocracyanddemocracyhascometobelookeduponasscholastic。Theworldisclearlydemocratizing;itisonlyaquestionofhowfastthemovementcantakeplace,andwhat,undervariousconditions,itreallyinvolves。Democracy,insteadofbeingasingleanddefinitepoliticaltype,provestobemerelyaprincipleofbreadthinorganization,naturallyprevalentwherevermenhavelearnedhowtoworkit,underwhichlifewillbeatleastasvariousinitsformsasitwasbefore。
Itinvolvesachangeinthecharacterofsocialdisciplinenotconfinedtopolitics,butasmuchathomeinonesphereasanother。Withfacilityofcommunicationasitsmechanicalbasis,itproceedsinevitablytodiscussandexperimentwithfreermodesofactioninreligion,industry,education,philanthropyandthefamily。Thelawofthesurvivalofthefittestwillprevailinregardtosocialinstitutions,asithasinthepast,buttheconditionsoffitnesshaveundergoneachangetheimplicationsofwhichwecanbutdimlyforesee。
Endnotes,Pages169,171。F。S。Dellenbaugh,TheNorthAmericansofYesterday,416。J。R。Green,HistoryoftheEnglishPeople,i,13。J。Donovan,TheFestalOriginofHumanSpeech。Mind,Octover1891。”Juranegetsibinata,nihilnonarrogetarmis。”桯orace,A~EPoet。122。JO。Dorsey,OmahaSociology,315,316。ApublicationoftheUSBureauofEthnology。QuotedbyGibbon,DeclineandFall,Milman-Smithedition,i,194,195。TheSpiritofLaws,bookix,chap。1。DemocracyinAmerica,vol。i,chap。24。OneofmanyilluminatingphrasesintroducedbyT。V。VebleninhisworkonTheTheoryoftheLeisureClass。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter12:TheEnlargementof,Consciousness,CHAPTERXII
THETHEORYOFPUBLICOPINION,PUBLICOPINIONASORGANIZATION——AGREEMENTNOTESSENTIAL——
PUBLICOPINIONversusPOPULARIMPRESSION——PUBLICTHOUGHTNOT
ANAVERAGE——AGROUPISCAPABLEOFEXPRESSIONTHROUGHITSMOSTCOMPETENT
MEMBERS——GENERALANDSPECIALPUBLICOPINION——THESPHEREOFTHEFORMER——
OFTHELATTER——THETWOAREUNITEDINPERSONALITY——HOWPUBLICOPINION
RULES——EFFECTIVERULEBASEDONMORALUNITY
Publicopinionisnomereaggregateofseparateindividualjudgments,butanorganization,acooperativeproductofcommunicationandreciprocalinfluence。Itmaybeasdifferentfromthesumofwhattheindividualscouldhavethoughtoutinseparationasashipbuiltbyahundredmenisfromahundredboatseachbuiltbyoneman。
Agroup“makesupitsmind“inverymuchthesamemannerrthattheindividualmakesuphis。Thelattermustgivetimeandattentiontothequestion,searchhisconsciousnessforpertinentideasandsentiments,andworkthemtogetherintoawhole,beforeheknowswhathisrealthoughtaboutitis。Inthecaseofanationthesamethingmusttakeplace,onlyonalargerscale。Eachindividualmustmakeuphismindasbefore,butindoing90hehastodealnotonlywithwhatwasalreadyinhisthoughtormemory,butwithfreshideasthatflowinfrom,(122)otherswhosemindsarealsoaroused。Everyonewhohasanyfact,orthought,orfeeling,whichhethinksisunknown,orinsufficientlyregarded,triestoimpartit;andthusnotonlyonemindbutallmindsaresearchedforpertinentmaterial,whichispouredintothegeneralstreamofthoughtforeachonetouseashecan。Inthismannerthemindsinacommunicatinggroupbecomeasingleorganicwhole。Theirunityisnotoneofidentity,butoflifeandaction,acrystallizationofdiversebutrelatedideas。
Itisnotatallnecessarythatthereshouldbeagreement;theessentialthingisacertainripenessandstabilityofthoughtresultingfromattentionanddiscussion。Theremaybequiteasmuchdifferenceofopinionastherewasbefore,butthedifferencesnowexistingarecomparativelyintelligentandlasting。Peopleknowwhattheyreallythinkaboutthematter,andwhatotherpeoplethink。Measures,platforms,candidates,creedsandothersymbolshavebeenproducedwhichservetoexpressandassistcooperationandtodefineopposition。Therehascometobearelativelycompleteorganizationofthought,towhicheachindividualorgroupcontributesinitsownpeculiarway。
Take,forinstance,thestateofopinionintheUnitedStatesregardingslaveryattheoutbreakofthecivilwar。Nogeneralagreementhadbeenreached;butthepopularmindhadbecomeorganizedwithreferencetothematter,whichhadbeenturnedoverandregardedfromallpointsofview,byallpartsofthecommunity,untilacertainripenessregardingithadbeenreached;revealinginthis,(123)casearadicalconflictofthoughtbetweentheNorthandtheSouth,andmuchlocaldiversityinbothsections;
Onewhowouldunderstandpublicopinionshoulddistinguishclearlybetweenatrueormatureopinionandapopularimpression。Theformerrequiresearnestattentionanddiscussionforaconsiderabletime,andwhenreachedissignificant,evenifmistaken。Itrarelyexistsregardingmattersoftemporaryinterest,andcurrenttalkorprintisamostuncertainindexofit。Apopularimpression,ontheotherhand,isfacile,shallow,transient,withthatficklenessandfatuitythatusedtobeascribedtothepopularmindingeneral。Itisanalogoustotheunconsideredviewsandutterancesofanindividual,andthemoreonestudiesitthelessseriouslyhewilltakeit。Itmayhappenthatninety-ninemeninahundredholdopinionsto-daycontrarytothosetheywillholdamonthhence梡artlybecausetheyhavenotyetsearchedtheirownminds,partlybecausethefewwhohavereallysignificantandwell-groundedideashavenothadtimetoimpressthemupontherest。
Itisnotunreasonable,then,tocombineaveryslightregardformostofwhatpassesaspublicopinionwithmuchconfidenceinthesoundnessofanaroused,mature,organicsocialjudgment。
Thereisawidespread,butasIbelieveafallacious,ideathatthepublicthoughtoractionmustinsomewayexpresstheworkingofanaverageorcommonplacemind,mustbesomekindofameanbetweenthehigherandlowerintelligencesmakingupthegroup。Itwouldbe,(124)morecorrecttosaythatitisrepresentative,meaningbythisthatthepreponderantfeelingofthegroupseeksdefiniteandeffectualexpressionthroughindividualsspeciallycompetenttogiveitsuchexpression。
Takeforinstancetheactivitiesofoneofourcollegesinintercollegiateathleticsordebates。Whatbelongstothegroupatlargeisavaguedesiretoparticipateandexcelinsuchcompetitions;butinrealizingitselfthisdesireseeksasitsagentsthebestathletesordebatersthataretobefoundAlittlecommon-senseandobservationwillshowthattheJ
expressionofagroupisnearlyalwayssuperior,forthepurposeinhand,totheaveragecapacityofitsmembers。
Idonotmeanmorallysuperior,butsimplymoreeffective,inadirectiondeterminedbytheprevalentfeeling。Ifamobisinquestion,thebrutalnature,forthetime-beingascendant,mayactthroughthemostbrutalmeninthegroup;andinlikemanneramoney-makingenterpriseisapttoputforwardtheshrewdestagentsitcanfind,withoutregardforanymoralqualitiesexceptfidelitytoitself。
Butifthelifeofthegroupisdeliberateandsympathetic,itsexpressionmaybemorallyhigh,onalevelnotmerelyoftheaveragemember,butofthemostcompetent,ofthebest。Theaveragetheoryasappliedtopublicconsciousnessiswhollyoutofplace。Thepublicmindmaybeonalowerplanethanthatoftheindividualthinkinginseparation,oritmaybeonahigher,butisalmostsuretobeonadifferentplane;andnoinklingofitsprobablecharactercanbehadbytakingamean。Onemindintheright,whetheronstatesmanship,science,morals,orwhatnot,(125)mayraiseallothermindstoitsownpointofview梑ecauseofthegeneralcapacityforrecognitionanddeferencejustasthroughouraptitudeforsuddenrageorfearonemindinthewrongmaydebasealltherest。
Thisisthewayinwhichrightsocialjudgmentsarereachedinmatterssobeyondcommonplacecapacityasscience,philosophy,andmuchofliteratureandart。Allgoodcriticstellusthatthejudgmentofmankind,inthelongrun,issureandsound。TheworldmakesnomistakeastoPlato,though,asEmersonsaid,thereareneverenoughunderstandingreadersalivetopayforaneditionofhisworks。This,tobesure,isajudgmentofthefew;andso,inasense,areallfinerjudgments。Thepointisthatthemanyhavethesensetoadoptthem。
Andletusnotethatthosecollectivejudgmentsinliterature,artandsciencewhichhaveexaltedPlatoandDanteandLeonardoandMichelangeloandBeethovenandNewtonandDarwin,aredemocraticjudgments,inthesensethateverymanhasbeenfreetotakeapartinproportiontohiscapacity,preciselyasthecitizenofademocracyisfreetotakeapartinpolitics。
Wealthandstationhaveoccasionallytriedtodictateinthesematters,buthavefailed。
Itisnaturalforanorganismtouseitsappropriateorgan,anditwouldbeasreasonabletosaythatthecapacityofthebodyforseeingisfoundbytakinganaverageofthevisualpowerofthehand,nose,liver,etc。alongwiththatoftheeye,asthatthecapacityofagroupforaspecialpurposeisthatofitsaveragemember。Ifagroupdoesnotfunctionthroughitsmostcompetentinstruments,itissimplybecauseofimperfectorganization。
(126)
Itisstrangethatpeoplewhoapplytheaveragetheorytodemocracydonotseethatifitweresounditmustapplytoallthesocialphenomenaofhistory,whichisarecordoftheworksofthecollectivemind。Sincethemaindifferencebetweendemocracyandancientormediaevalsystemsismerelythattheformerislessrestrictedbytime,spaceandcaste,isessentiallyanappealtofreehumanpowerasagainstwhatismerelymechanicalorconventional;bywhatmagicisthisappealtodepriveusofourancientprivilegeofactingthroughourefficientindividuals?
Onewhopondersthesethingswillseethattheprinciplesofcollectiveexpressionarethesamenowasever,andthatthespecialdifficultiesofourtimearisepartlyfromconfusion,duetothepaceofchange,andpartlyfromthegreaterdemandswhichafreesystemmakesuponhumancapacity。
Thequestionis,whether,inpractice,democracyiscapableoftheeffectiveexpressiontowhichnoveryserioustheoreticalobstaclecanbediscerned。
Itisamatterofdoingarathersimplethingonavasterandmorecomplicatedscalethaninthepast。
Publicopinionisnouniformthing,asweareapttoassume,buthasitsmultifariousdifferentiations。Wemayroughlydistinguishageneralopinion,inwhichalmosteverybodyinthecommunityhasapart,andaninfinitediversityofspecialorclassopinions梠fthefamily,theclub,theschool-room,theparty,theunion,andsoon。
Andthereisanequaldiversityinthekindofthoughtwithwhichthepublicmindmaybeconcerned:thecontentmaybeofalmostanysort。Thustherearegroupideals,liketheAmericanidealofindissolubleunityamong,(127)thestates,theFrenchidealofnationalglory,ortheidealsofhonorandgood-breedingcherishedinmanyfamilies;andtherearegroupbeliefs,regardingreligion,trade,agriculture,marriage,educationandthelike。Uponallmattersinwhichthemindhas,inthepast,takenalivelyinteresttherearelatentinclinationsandprepossessions,andwhenthesearearousedandorganizedbydiscussiontheycombinewithotherelementstoformpublicopinion。Mr。Higginson,recountinghisexperienceintheMassachusettslegislature,speaksof“certainvastandinscrutableundercurrentsofprejudice……whichcouldneverbecomprehendedbyacademicminds,orevencity-bredminds,“butwhichwereusuallyirresistible。Theyrelatedtotherightsoftowns,thepublicschoolsystem,thelawofsettlement,roads,navigablestreams,breadthofwheels,closetimeoffishing,etc。
“EverygooddebaterintheHouse,andeveryoneofitsrecognizedlegalauthorities,mightbeononeside,andyetthesmallestcontestwithoneoftheselatentprejudiceswouldlandtheminaminority。”[1]
Thisdiversitymerelyreflectsthecomplexityoforganization,currentopinionanddiscussionbeingapervasiveactivity,essentialtogrowth,thattakesplacethroughoutthesystematlargeandineachparticularmember。Generalopinionexistingalone,withoutspecialtypesofthoughtasinthevariousdepartmentsofscienceandart,wouldindicatealowtypeofstructure,morelikeamobthanarationalsociety。Itisuponthesespecialtypes,andtheindividualsthatspeakforthem,thatwerelyforthe,(128)guidanceofgeneralopinion(as,forinstance,werelyuponeconomiststoteachuswhattothinkaboutthecurrency),andtheabsenceofmaturespecialityinvolvesweaknessandflatnessofgeneralachievement。Thisfaultisoftenchargedtodemocracy,butitshouldratherbesaidthatdemocracyissubstitutingafreetypeofspeciality,baseduponchoice,fortheoldtypebaseduponcaste,andthatwhateverdeficiencyexistsinthisregardisduechieflytotheconfusedconditionsthataccompanytransition。
Generalpublicopinionhaslessscopethaniscommonlyimagined。Itistruethatwiththenewcommunication,thewholepeople,iftheyareenoughinterested,mayformpublicjudgmentsevenupontransientquestions。
Butitisnotpossible,norindeeddesirable,thattheyshouldbeenoughinterestedinmanyquestionstoformsuchjudgments。Alikenessofspiritandprincipleisessentialtomoralunity,butasregardsdetailsdifferentiationisandshouldbetherule。Theworkoftheworldismostlyofaspecialcharacter,anditisquiteasimportantthatamanshouldmindhisownbusiness梩hatis,hisownparticularkindofgeneralservice梐sthatheshouldhavepublicspirit。Perhapswemaysaythatthemainthingistomindhisprivatebusinessinapublicspirit梐lwaysrememberingthatmenwhoareinapositiontodososhouldmakeittheirprivatebusinesstoattendtopublicaffairs。Itisnotindolenceandroutine,altogether,butalsoaninevitableconflictofclaims,thatmakesmenslowtoexerttheirmindsupongeneralquestions,andunderliesthepoliticalmaximthatyoucannotarousepublicopinion,(129)uponmorethanonematteratatime。Itisbetterthatthepublic,likethegeneral-in-chiefofanarmy,shouldberelievedofdetailsandfreetoconcentrateitsthoughtonessentialchoices。
Ihaveonlyalimitedbeliefintheefficacyofthereferendumandsimilardevicesforincreasedparticipationofthepeopleatlargeinthedetailsoflegislation。Insofarasthesefacilitatetheformationandexpressionofpublicwilluponmatterstowhichthepublicispreparedtogiveearnestandcontinuousattention,theyareserviceable;butifmanyquestionsaresubmitted,orthoseofatechnicalcharacter,thepeoplebecomeconfusedorindifferent,andtherealpowerfallsintothehandsofthefewwhomanagethemachinery。
Thequestionswhichcanprofitablybedecidedbythisdirectandgeneraljudgmentofthepublicarechieflythoseoforganicchangeorreadjustment,such,forinstance,asthecontemporaryquestionofwhatpartthegovernmentistotakeinrelationtotheconsolidationofindustries。Thesethepeoplemustdecide,sincenolesserpowerwillbesubmittedto,butroutineactivities,insocietyasinindividuals,arecarriedonwithoutarousingageneralconsciousness。Thepeoplearealso,asIshallshortlypointout,peculiarlyfittomakechoiceamongconspicuouspersonalities。
Specialistsofallsorts梞asons,soldiers,chemists,lawyers,bankers,evenstatesmenandpublicofficials梐reruledforthemostpartbytheopinionoftheirspecialgroup,andhavelittleimmediatedependenceuponthegeneralpublic,whichwillnotconcernitselfwiththemso,(130)longastheirworkisnotpalpablyinefficientorinsomewaydistasteful。
Yetspecialphasesofthoughtarenotreallyindependent,butaretobelookeduponastheworkofthepublicmindactingwithalessgeneralconsciousness梡artlyautomaticliketheactionofthelegsinwalking。
Theyarestillresponsibletothegeneralstateofopinion;anditisusuallyageneralneedofthespecialproduct,asshoes,banks,education,medicalaidandsoon,thatgivesthespecialgroupitspecuniarysupportandsocialstanding。Moreover,thegeneralinterestinaparticulargroupislikelytobecomeawakenedandcriticalwhenthefunctionisdisturbed,aswiththebuildingtradesorthecoal-mineoperatorsincaseofastrike;orwhenitbecomespeculiarlyimportant,aswiththearmyintimeofwar。
Thenisthedayofreckoningwhenthespecialisthastorenderanaccountofthetalentsentrustedtohim。
Theseparatenessofthespecialgroupisalsolimitedbypersonality,bythefactthatthemenwhoperformthespecialtydonotinothermattersthinkapartfromtherestofthesociety,but,insofarasitisamoralwhole,shareitsgeneralspiritandarethesamemenwho,alltakentogether,aretheseatofpublicopinion。Howfarthedifferentdepartmentsofaman’smind,correspondingtogeneralandspecialopinion,mayberuledbydifferentprinciples,isamatterofinterestfromthefactthateveryoneofusisthetheatreofaconflictofmoralstandardsarisinginthisway。Itisevidentbygeneralobservationandconfessionthatweusuallyacceptwithoutmuchcriticismtheprincipleswebecomeaccustomedtoineachsphereof,(131)activity,whetherconsistentwithoneanotherornot。Yetthisisnotrational,andthereisandmusteverbeastrivingofconsciencetoredresssuchconflicts,whicharereallydivisionsinsocietyitself,andtendtowardanarchy。Itisalleasybutweakdefenceoflowprinciplesofconduct,inbusiness,inpolitics,inwar,inpayingtaxes,tosaythataspecialstandardprevailsinthissphere,andthatourbehaviorisjustifiedbycustom。Wecannotwhollyescapefromthecustomary,butconscienceshouldrequireofourselvesandothersanhonestefforttoraiseitsstandard,evenatmuchsacrificeofloweraims。Sucheffortsaretheonlysourceofbetterment,andwithoutthemsocietymustdeteriorate。
Inotherwords,itisthechiefandperhapstheonlymethodofmoralandintellectualprogressthatthethoughtandsentimentpertainingtothevariousactivitiesshouldmingleinthemind,andthatwhateverishigherormorerationalineachshouldraisethestandardoftheothers。
Ifonefindsthatasabusinessmanhetendstobegreedyandnarrow,heshouldcallintothatsphere。hissentimentsasapatriot,amemberofafamilyandastudent,andhemayenrichtheselatterprovincesbythesystemandshrewdnesshelearnsinbusiness。Thekeepingofclosedcompartmentsisaprincipleofstagnationanddecay。
Theruleofpublicopinion,then,meansforthemostpartalatentauthoritywhichthepublicwillexercisewhensufficientlydissatisfiedwiththespecialistwhoisinimmediatechargeofaparticularfunction。Itcannotextendtotheimmediateparticipationofthegroupasawholeinthedetailsofpublicbusiness。
(132)
Thisprincipleholdsgoodintheconductofgovernmentaswellaselsewhere,experienceshowingthatthepoliticsofanintricatestateisalwaysaspecialty,closertothepublicinterest,perhaps,thanmostspecialties,butordinarilycontrolledbythosewho,forwhateverreason,puttheirmainenergyintoit。Professionalpoliticians,inthissense,aresuretowinasagainsttheamateur;andifpoliticsisbadlymanagedthechiefremedyistoraisetheleveloftheprofession。
DeTocquevillesaysthat“thepeoplereignintheAmericanpoliticalworldastheDeitydoesintheuniverse。Theyarethecauseandtheaimofallthings;everythingcomesfromthemandisabsorbedbythem。”[2]Andwemayaddthat,alsoliketheDeity,theydothingsthroughagentsinwhomthesupposedattributesoftheirmasteraremuchobscured。
Therearesomewhosaywehavenodemocracy,becausemuchisdone,ingovernmentaselsewhere,inneglectordefianceofgeneralsentiment。Butthesameistrueunderanyformofsovereignty;indeed,muchmoretrueundermonarchyoroligarchythanunderourform。TheruleofthepeopleissurelymorerealandpervasivethanthatofLouisXIVorHenryVIII。
Nosovereignpossessescompletelyitsinstruments,butdemocracyperhapsdoessomorenearlythananyother。
Whenanimportantfunction,suchasgovernment,ortradeoreducation,isnotperformedtothesatisfactionofwatchfulconsciences,theremedyissomewhatasfollows。Arathergeneralmoralsentimentregardingthemattermustbearousedbypublishingthefactsandex,(133)posingtheirinconsistencywithunderlyingstandardsofright。
Thissentimentwilleffectlittlesolongasitismerelygeneral,butifvigorousitrapidlybegetsorgansthroughwhichtowork。Itisthenatureofsuchasentimenttostimulateparticularindividualsorgroupstoorganizeandeffectuateit。Thepresshasamotivetoexploitandincreaseitbyvividexpositionofthestateofaffairs;enthusiasm,seekingforanoutlet,findsitinthisdirection;ambitionandevenpecuniaryinterestareenlistedtogratifythedemand。Effectiveleadershipthusarises,andorganization,whichthrivesinthewarmthofpublicattention,isnotlongwanting。Civicleaguesandthelike梥upposingthatitisamatterofpolitics梪nitewithtrustedleadersandtheindependentpresstoguidethevoterinchoosingbetweenhonestyandcorruption。Themoralstandardoftheprofessionalgroupbeginstorise:afewoffendersarepunished,manyarealarmed,andthingswhicheveryonehasbeendoingorconnivingatarefeltaswrong。
InavigorousdemocracylikethatoftheUnitedStates,thisprocessisevergoingon,onagreatscaleandininnumerableminorgroups:thepublicmind,likeacarefulfarmer,movesaboutitsdomain,hoeingweeds,mendingfencesandotherwisesettingthingstorights,undeterredbythefactthattheworkwillnotstaydone。
Suchregenerationimpliestheexistenceofareal,thoughperhapslatent,moralunityinthegroupwhosestandardsarethusrevivedandapplied。
Itis,forinstance,ofuntoldadvantagetoallrighteousmovementsintheUnitedStates,thatthenationtraditionallyexiststothe,(134)endsofjustice,freedomandhumanity。Thistraditionmeansthatthereisalreadyanobleandcherishedideal,nosincereappealtowhichisvain;andwecouldaswelldispensewiththewisdomoftheConstitutionaswiththesentimentoftheDeclarationofIndependence。
Onthesameprinciple,itisachieffactorinthemisgovernmentofourcitiesthattheyaremostlytoonewandheterogeneoustohaveanestablishedconsciousness。Assoonasthepeoplefeeltheirunity,wemayhopefullylookforcivicvirtueanddevotion,becausethesethingsrequireasocialmediuminwhichtowork。Amanwillnotdevotehimself,ordinarily,wherethereisnodistinctandhumanwholetodevotehimselfto,nomindinwhichhisdevotionwillberecognizedandvalued。Buttoavitalandenduringgroupdevotionisnatural,andwemayexpectthataself-consciouscity,state,universityorprofessionwillprovetobeatheatreofthemagnanimousvirtues。
Endnotes,OntheOutskirtsofPublicLife,TheAtlanticMonthly,Feb。1898。DemocracyinAmerica,vol。i,chap。4。,CharlesHortonCoolety:SocialOrganization:Chapter13:WhattheMassesContribute,CHAPTERXIII
WHATTHEMASSESCONTRIBUTE,THEMASSESTHEINITITATORSOFSENTIMENT——THEYLIVEINTHE
CENTRALCURRENTOFEXPERIENCE——DISTINCTIONORPRIVILEDGEAPTTOCAUSE
ISOLATION——INSTITUTIONALCHARACTEROFUPPERCLASSES——THEMASSESSHREWD
JUDGESOFPERSONS——THISTHEMAINGROUNDFOREXPECTINGTHATTHEPEOPLE
WILLBERIGHTINTHELONGRUN——DEMOCRACYALWAYSREPRESENTATIVE——CONCLUSION
Thefunctionofleadersindefiningandorganizingtheconfusedtendenciesofthepublicmindisevidentenough,butjustwhatthemassesthemselvescontributeisperhapsnotsoapparent。[1]Thethoughtoftheundistinguishedmanyis,however,notlessimportant,notnecessarilylessoriginal,thanthatoftheconspicuousfew;theoriginalityofthelatter,justbecauseitismoreconspicuous,beingeasytooverestimate。Leadershipisonlysalientinitiative;andamongthemanytheremaywellbeincrementsofinitiativewhichthoughnotsalientareyetmomentousasawhole。
Theoriginalityofthemassesistobefoundnotsomuchinformulatedideaasinsentiment。Incapacitytofeelandtotrustthosesentimentswhichitistheproperaimofsocialdevelopmenttoexpress,theyare,perhaps,commonlysuperiortothemoredistinguishedorprivilegedclasses。
Thereasonisthattheirexperienceusually,(136)keepsthemclosertothespringsofhumannature,andsomoreunderthecontrolofitsprimaryimpulses。
Radicalmovementsaimingtoextendtheapplicationofhighersentimenthavegenerallybeenpushedonbythecommonpeople,ratherthanbyprivilegedorders,orbyconspicuousleadershipofanysort。[2]ThisseemstobetrueofChristianityinallages,andofthemanyphasesofmoderndemocracyandenfranchisement。InAmericanhistory,particularly,boththerevolutionwhichgaveusindependenceandthecivilwarwhichabolishedslaveryandreunitedthecountry,weremoregenerallyandsteadfastlysupportedbythemassesthanbypeopleofeducationorwealth。Mr。Higginson,writingontheCowardiceofCulture,[3]assertsthatattheopeningoftheRevolutionthemenofwealthandstandingwhotookthesideoflibertyweresofewthattheycouldbecounted,andthat“therewasneveraperiodinourhistory,sincetheAmericanNationwasindependent,whenitwouldnothavebeenacalamitytohaveitcontrolledbyitshighlyeducatedmenalone。”AndinEnglandalsoitwasthemasseswhoupheldabolitioninthecoloniesandsympathizedwiththeNorthintheAmericanstruggle。
Thecommonpeople,asarule,livemoreinthecentralcurrentofhumanexperiencethanmenofwealthordistinction。Domesticmorality,religioussentiment,faithinmanandGod,loyaltytocountryandthelike,arethefruitofthehumanheartgrowinginhomelyconditions,(137)andtheyeasilywitherwhentheseconditionsarelostTobeoneamongmany,withoutindividualpretension;isinonewayapositionofsecurityandgrandeur。Onestands,asitwere,withthehumanraceathisback,sharingitsclaimontruth,justiceandGod。Quiquoerithabereprivataamittitcommunia;[4],theplainmanhasnotconspicuouslygainedprivatethings,andshouldbeallthericherinthingsthatarecommon,infaithandfellowshipNothing,perhaps,ishealthythatisolatesusfromthecommondestinyofmen,thatismerelyappropriativeandnotfunctional,thatisnotsuchasallmightrejoiceiniftheyunderstoodit。
MissJaneAddamshasadvancedatheory,[5]farfromabsurd,thattheconfusedanddeprivedmassesofourcities,collectedfromalllandsbyimmigration,arelikelytobetheinitiatorsofnewandhigheridealsforourcivilization。Since“idealsarebornofsituations,“theyareperhapswellsituatedforsuchafunctionbythealmostcompletedestruction,sofarastheyareconcerned,ofoldtraditionsandsystems。Inthispromiscuousminglingofelementseverythingiscancelledbuthumannature,andtheyarethrownbackuponthatforanewstart。Theyarean“unencumberedproletariat“notableforprimaryfaithandkindness;“simplepeoplewhocarryintheirheartsadesireformeregoodness。Theyregularlydepletetheirscantylivelihoodinresponsetoaprimitivepity,and,independentofthereligionstheyhaveprofessed,ofthewrongstheyhavesuffered,andofthefixedmoralitythey,(138)havebeentaught,theyhaveanunquenchabledesirethatcharityandsimplejusticeshallregulatemen’srelations。”[6]
Sometendencytoisolationandspiritualimpoverismentsislikelytogowithanysortofdistinctionorprivilege。Wealth,culture,reputation,bringspecialgratifications。Thesefosterspecialtastes,andtheseinturngiverisetospecialwaysoflivingandthinkingwhichimperceptiblyseparateonefromcommonsympathyandputhiminaspecialclass。Ifonehasagoodincome,forinstance,hownaturalitistospendit,andhownaturally,also,thatexpenditurewithdrawsonefromfamiliarintercoursewithpeoplewhohavenotagoodincome。Successmeanspossessions,andpossessionsareapttoimprisonthespirit。
Ithasalwaysbeenheldthatworldlygoods,whichofcourseincludereputationaswellaswealth,makethehighestlifeoftheminddifficultifnotimpossible,devotionalordersinnearlyallreligionsrequiringpersonalpovertyandlowlinessastheconditionofedification。Tantumhomoimpedituretdistrahitur,quantumsibiresattrahit。[7]“Slothorcowardice,“saysapsychologist,“creepinwitheverydollarorguineawehavetoguard……livesbasedonhavingarelessfreethanlivesbasedoneitherdoingorbeing。”[8]“Itiseasierforacameltopassthroughtheeyeofaneedle。”Notfornothinghavemenofinsightagreeduponsuchpropositionsasthese。
Distinction,also,isapttogowithanexaggeratedself-consciousnesslittlefavorabletoanaturalandheart,(139)participationinthedeepercurrentsofthegenerallife。Ambitionandthepassionfordifferencearegoodintheirway,butlikemostgoodthingstheyareboughtataprice,inthiscaseapreoccupationwithideasthatseparateonefromimmediatefellowship。Itisrighttohavehighandunusualaimsandactivities,buthardtokeepthemfreefrompride,mistrust,gloomandothervicesofisolation。Onlyaverysanemindcancarrydistinctionandfellowshipwithoutspillingeither。
Inthesocialregardpaidtowealthandstandingwesymbolizeourvaguesenseofthevalueofpersonalfacultyworkingintheserviceofthewhole,butitrequiresanunusualpurityanddepthofsocialfeelingforthepossessoroffacultynottobedemoralizedbythisregard,whichis?perhapsnecessarily梐lmostdisassociatedfromdefiniteandcogentresponsibility。Imeanthattheeminentusuallygetthecreditofvirtueasitwereexofficiowhethertheyreallyhaveitornot。Wefindthereforethatpower,insteadofbeingsimplyhigherservice,isgenerallymoreorlesscorruptorselfish,andthosewhoareraiseduparesomuchthemorecastdown。Atthebesttheymakesomesacrificeofinnocencetofunction;attheworsttheydestroythemselvesanddebauchsociety。
Evenvulgarity(byetymologytheviceofthecrowd)ifwetakeittomeanundisciplinedselfishnessandpretension,flourishesatleastasmuchamongtheprosperousasamongthehardworkingpeople。Wealthwhichisnotdominatedbynobletraditionorbyrarepersonalinspirationfallsintovulgaritybecauseitpermitstheinflationofthosecrudeimpulseswhicharemuchkeptdowninthepoorbythedisciplineofhardship。Whateverisseverely,(140)necessarycanneverbevulgar,whileonlynoblenesscanpreventthesuperfluousfrombeingso。Andasuperficial,functionlesseducationandrefinementisnearlyasvulgarasuninspiredwealth。Soithasbeenremarkedthatwhenartistspaintourcontemporarylifetheyareapttochooseitashumbleaspossibleinorder“togetdownbelowthestratawhichvulgaritypermeates。”[9]
Moreover,conspicuousandsuccessfulpersonsaremorelikelythanthecommonaltytobeinstitutionized,tohavesacrificedhumannaturetospeciality。
Tosucceedinthehouronemustbeamanofthehour,andmustordinarilyharnesshisverysoultosomesortofcontemporaryactivitywhichmayafterallbeofnorealworth。Anupperclassisinstitutionalinitsveryessence,sinceitiscontrolofinstitutionsthatmakesitanupperclass,andmencanhardlykeepthiscontrolexceptastheyputtheirheartsintoit。Successfulbusinessmen,lawyers,politicians,clergymen,editorsandthelikearesuchthroughidentifyingtheirminds,forbetterorworse,withthepresentactivitiesandidealsofcommercialandotherinstitutions。“Seldomdoesthenewconscience,whenitseeksateachertodeclaretomenwhatiswrong,findhiminthedignitariesofthechurch,thestate,theculture,thatis。Thehighertherankthecloserthetiethatbindsthosetowhatisbutoughtnottobe。[10]
Thehumblerclassesaresomewhatlessentangledinspirit。Itisbettertohavethehandsubduedtowhatitworksinthanthesoul;andthemechanicwhosellstothe,(141)timesonlyhistenhoursadayofmuscularworkisperhapsmorefreetothinkhumanlytherestofthetimethanhisemployer。Hecanalsomoreeasilykeepthehabitofsimplelookandspeech,sincehedoesnothavetolearntocollecalhisthoughtsinthesamedegreethatthelawyer,themerchantandthestatesmando。EvenamongstudentsIhaveobserved,inthematterofopennessofcountenance,amarkeddifference,onthewhole,betweenthegraduatesofanengineeringschoolandthoseofalawschool,verymuchinfavoroftheformer。[11]Again,thehandlaborerisusedtoreckoninghiswagesbythehour?somuchtimesomuchpay梐ndwouldfeeldishonestifhedidanythingelse。Butintheprofessions,andstillmoreincommerceandfinance,thereis,asarule,nodefinitemeasureofservice,andmeninsensiblycometobasetheirchargesontheirviewofwhattheothermanwillpay;thusperilouslyaccustomingthemselvestoexploitthewealthorweaknessofothers。
Thelifeofspecialinstitutionsisoftentransientinproportiontoitsspeciality,anditisonlynaturalthatcommercialandprofessionalactivityshoulddeallargelywithevanescentinterestsoflittledignityinthemselves。The“demand“ofthepublicwhichthemerchanthastomeet,isingreatpartathingofvanity,ifnotofdegradation,whichitcanhardlybeedifyingtosupply。Indeed,many,ifnotmost,businessmenplaytheiroccupationasagame,ratherthaninaspiritofservice,andarewidelyinfectedbythefallacythattheyarejustifiedinsellinganything,(142)thatthepeoplewillbuy。Simplemindsarerevoltedbythelackoftangiblehumanserviceinmanyofthehigherpaidoccupations,andyoungmenenterthemforthepayalonewhentheirbetterimpulseswouldleadthemtopreferhandlabor。
Thesentimentofthepeopleismostreadilyandsuccessfullyexercisedintheirjudgmentofpersons。Montesquieu,indiscussingrepublicangovernment,advocatedonthisgroundanalmostuniversalmanhoodsuffrageinthechoosingofrepresentatives。“For,“sayshe,“thoughfewcantelltheexactdegreeofmen’scapacities,yettherearenonebutarecapableofknowingingeneralwhetherthepersontheychooseisbetterqualifiedthanmostofhisneighbors。”[12]Theplainestmenhaveaninbredshrewdnessinjudginghumannaturewhichmakesthemgoodcriticsofpersonsevenwhenimpenetrabletoideas。Thisshrewdnessisfosteredbyafreesociety,inwhicheveryonehastomakeandholdhisownplaceamonghisfellows;anditisusedwithmucheffectinpoliticsandelsewhereasaguidetosoundideas。
Someyearsago,forinstance,occurredanationalelectioninwhichthemainissuewaswhethersilvershouldorshouldnotbecoinedfreelyataratemuchaboveitsbullionvalue。Twofactswereimpressedupontheobserverofthiscampaign:first,theinabilityofmostmen,evenofeducation,toreasonclearlyonasomewhatabstractquestionIyingoutsideoftheirdailyexperience,and,second,thesoundinstinctwhichallsortsofpeopleshowedinchoosingsidesthroughleadership。Theflowofnonsense,(143)onbothpartswasremarkable,butpersonalitywasthedetermininginfluence。Itwascommontohearmensaythattheyshouldvotefororagainstthepropositionbecausetheydidordidnottrustitsconspicuousadvocates;
anditwasevidentthatmanywerecontrolledinthiswaywhodidnotacknowledgeit,eventothemselves。Thegeneralresultwasthatthemoreconservativemenwereunitedononeside,andthemoreradicalandshiftingelementsontheother。
Therealinterestofthevoteratourelectionsisusuallyinpersonality。
OnelikesordislikesA,whoisrunningforalderman,andvotesaccordingly,withoutknowingorcaringwhatheislikelytodoifelected。OroneopposesB,becauseheisbelievedtobeinleaguewiththeobnoxiousC,andsoon。Itisnexttoimpossibletogetalargeorintelligentvoteonanimpersonalmatter,suchastheconstitutionalamendmentswhich,inmostofourstates,havetobesubmittedtothepeople。Thenewspapers,reflectingthepublictaste,saylittleaboutthem,andtheordinaryvoterlearnsofthemforthefirsttimewhenhecomestothepolls。Onlyameasurewhichdirectlyaffectstheinterestsorpassionsofthepeople,likeprohibitionoftheliquortraffic,willcalloutalargevote。
Onthisshrewdjudgmentofpersonstheadvocateofdemocracychieflygroundshisfaiththatthepeoplewillberightinthelongrun。Theoldargumentagainsthimrunsasfollows:democracyistheruleofthemany;
themanyareincompetenttounderstandpublicquestions;hencedemocracyistheruleofincompetence。ThusMacauleyheldthatinstitutionspurelydemocraticmust,(144)soonerorlaterdestroylibertyorcivilizationorboth;andexpectedadayofspoliationintheUnitedStates,“forwithyouthemajorityisthegovernmentandhastherichabsolutelyatitsmercy。”[13]Morerecentwritersofstandinghavetakenthesameview,likeLecky,whodeclaresthattheruleofthemajorityistheruleofignorance,sincethepoorandtheignorantarethelargestproportionofthepopulation。[14]
Tothisourdemocratwillanswer,“Themany,whetherrichorpoor,areincompetenttograspthetruthinitsabstractness,buttheyreachitthroughpersonalsymbols,theyfeeltheirwaybysympathy,andtheirconclusionsareatleastasapttoberightasthoseofanyartificiallyselectedclass。”
AndhewillperhapsturntoAmericanhistory,whichis,onthewhole,afairlyconvincingdemonstrationthatthemassesarenotincapableoftemperateandwisedecision,evenonmattersofmuchdifficulty。Thatourantecedentsandtraininghavebeenpeculiarlyfortunatemustbeconceded。
Thecrudelypessimisticviewissuperficialnotonlyinunderestimatingthemassesandoverestimatingwealth?whichis,inourtimesatleast,almosttheonlypossiblebasisofaprivilegedclass梑utinfailingtounderstandtheorganiccharacterofamaturepublicjudgment。Isitnotaratherobviousfallacytosaythatbecausetheignorantoutnumbertheeducated,thereforetheruleofthemajorityistheruleofignorance?
Iffiftymenconsult,(145)together,fortyofwhomareignorantregardingthematterinhandandteninformed,willtheirconclusionsnecessarilybethoseofignorance?
Evidentlynot,unlessinsomeimprobablemannerthefortyseparatefromthetenandrefusetobeguidedbythem。Savagesandgangsofboysonthestreetchoosethemostsagacioustoleadincounsel,andevenpirateswillputthebestnavigatorsinchargeoftheship。Thenaturalthing,aswehaveseen,isforagrouptodefertoitsmostcompetentmembers。LeckywouldhimselfhavemaintainedthisinthecaseofParliament,andwhyshoulditnotbetrueofothergroups?Iseenoreasonwhytheruleofthemajorityshouldbetheruleofignorance,unlesstheyarenotonlyignorantbutfools;andIdonotsupposethecommonpeopleofanycapableracearethat。
Iwasbornandhavelivednearlyallmylifeintheshadowofaninstitutionofhigherlearning,auniversity,supportedoutofthetaxesofademocraticstateandgovernedbyaboardelecteddirectlybythepeople。SofarbackasIcanremembertherehavenotbeenwantingpessimiststosaythattheinstitutioncouldnotprosperonsuchabasis。“What,“theysaid,“dothefarmersknoworcareabouttheuniversity?howcanweexpectthattheyshouldsupportastronomyandSanscritandthehighermathematics?“Infacttherehavebeentroubloustimes,especiallyintheearlierdays,butthehigherlearninghassteadilywonitswayinopendiscussion,andtheuniversityisnowfarlarger,higherinitsstandards,bettersupportedandapparentlymorefirmlyestablishedinpopularapprovalthaneverbefore。
Whatmoreexactingtestofthepowerofdemocracytopursueandeffectuate,(146)highandratherabstractidealscouldtherewellbethanthis?OnewholivesinthemidstofsuchfactscannotbutdiscoversomethingratherdoctrinaireintheviewsofMacaulayandLecky。
Ifitbetruethatmostpeoplejudgemenratherthanideas,wemaysaythatdemocraticsocietyisrepresentativenotonlyinpoliticsbutinallitsthought。Everywhereafewareallowedtothinkandactfortherest,andtheessenceofdemocraticmethodisnotinthedirectchoiceofthepeopleinmanymatters,butintheirretainingaconsciouspowertochangetheirrepresentatives,ortoexercisedirectchoice,whentheywishtodoso。Alltolerablegovernmentisrepresentative,butdemocracyisvoluntarilyso,anddiffersfromoligarchyinpreservingthedefiniteresponsibilityofthefewtothemany。Itmayevenhappen,asinEngland,thatahereditaryrulingclassretainsmuchofitspowerbytheconsentofademocratizedelectorate,or,asinFrance,thataconceptionofthestate,generatedunderabsolutemonarchy,ischerishedundertheruleofthepeople。
Asforpopularsuffrage,itisacrudebutpracticaldeviceforascertainingthepreponderantbentofopiniononadefiniteissue。Itisinasensesuperficial,mechanical,almostabsurd,whenweconsiderthedifferenceinrealsignificanceamongtheunits;butitissimple,educative,andhasthatpalpablesortofjusticethatallayscontention。Nodoubtspiritualweightisthegreatthing,butasthereisnoacceptedwaytomeasurethis,wecountonemanonevote,andtrustthatspiritualdifferenceswillbeexpressedthroughpersuasion。
(147)
Thereis,then,noessentialconflictbetweendemocracyandspecializationinanysphere。Itistruethatasthevitalunityofagroupbecomesmoreconsciouseachmembertendstofeelaclaimoneverythingthegroupdoes。
Thusthecitizennotonlywishesthegovernment梠fthevillage,thestateorthenation梩obeanexpressionofhimself;buthewishesthesameregardingtheschools,manufactures,trade,religionandtheadvanceofknowledge。