Hedesiresallthesethingstogooninthebestwaypossible,soastoexpresstothefullestthathumannaturethatisinhimself。Andasaguarantyofthishedemandsthattheyshallbeconductedonanopenprinciple,whichshallgivecontrolofthemtothefittestindividuals。Hatingallprivilegenotbasedonfunction,hedesirespowertosuppresssuchprivilegewhenitbecomesflagrant。Andtomakeeverythingamenable,directlyorindirectly,topopularsuffrage,seemstohimapracticalstepInthisdirection。
Somethinglikethisisinthemindoftheplainmanofourtime;butheisquiteawareofhisincompetencetocarryonthesevariedactivitiesdirectly,eitheringovernmentorelsewhere,andcommon-senseteacheshimtoseekhisendbyashrewdchoiceofrepresentatives,andbydevelopingasystemofopenandjustcompetitionforallfunctions。Thepictureofthedemocraticcitizenasonewhothinkshecandoanythingaswellasanybodyis,ofcourse,acaricature,andintheUnitedStates,atleast,thereisagreatandincreasingrespectforspecialcapacity,andatendencytotrustitasfarasitdeserves。Ifpeoplearesometimesscepticalofthespecialist梚npoliticaleconomyletussay梐ndinclinedtoprefertheirowncommon-sense,(148)itisperhapsbecausetheyhavehadunfortunateexperiencewiththeformer。Onthewhole,ourtimeisoneofthe“riseoftheexpert,“
when,onaccountoftherapidelaborationofnearlyallactivities,thereisanevergreaterdemandfortrainedcapacity。Farfrombeingundemocratic,thisisaphaseofthateffectiveorganizationofthepublicintelligencewhichrealdemocracycallsfor。Inshort,asalreadysuggested,tobedemocratic,oreventobeignorant,isnotnecessarilytobeafool。
Soinanswertothequestion,Justwhatdotheundistinguishedmassesofthepeoplecontributetothegeneralthought?wemaysay,Theycontributesentimentandcommon-sense,whichgivesmomentumandgeneraldirectiontoprogress,and,asregardsparticulars,findsitswaybyashrewdchoiceofleaders。Itisintotheobscureandinarticulatesenseofthemultitudethatthemanofgeniuslooksinordertofindthosevitaltendencieswhoseutteranceishisoriginality。Asmeninbusinessgetrichbydiviningandsupplyingapotentialwant,soitisagreatpartofallleadershiptoperceiveandexpresswhatthepeoplehavealreadyfelt。
Endnotes,SomediscussionofleadershipwillbefoundinHumanNatureandtheSocialOrder,chaps。8and9。SoMr。Bryce,TheAmericanCommonwealth,chap。76。Someemphasisshouldbegiventothephrase“pushedon,“asdistinguishedfrom“initiated。”,IntheAtlanticMonthly,Oct。1905。Whoseekstohaveprivatethingslosescommonthings。ThomasKempis,DeImitationeChristi,bookiii,chap。13,sec。1。Inherbook,NewerIdealsofPeace。NewerIdealsofPeace,chap。1。DeImitationeChristi,bookii,chap。l,see。7。WilliamJames,VarietiesofReligiousExperienee,319。P。G。Hamerton,ThoughtsAboutArt,222。HenryD。Lloyd,MantheSocialCreator,101。Imeanmerelythatthelawgraduateslooksophisticated梟otdiahonest。
Theyhavelearnedtousevoiceandfacialexpressionaaweaponsofcontroversy。TheSpiritofLaws,bookxi,chap。6。FromaletterwrittentoanAmericancorrespondentin1857andprintedintheappendixtoTrevelyan’sMacaulay。DemocracyandLiberty,vol。i,chap。1,page25andpassim。SomeofLecky’sexpressions,however,aremorefavorabletodemocracy。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter14:DemocracyandCrowd,Excitement,CHAPTERXIV
DEMOCRACYANDCROWDEXCITEMENT,THECROWD-THEORYOFMODERNLIFE——THEPSYCHOLOGYOFCROWDS——
MODERNCONDITIONSFAVORPSYCHOLOGICALCONTAGION——DEMOCRACYATRAINING
INSELF-CONTROL——THECROWDNOTALWAYSINTHEWRONG——CONCLUSION;THE
CASEOFFRANCE。
CERTAINwriters,impressedwiththeriseofvastdemocracieswithinwhichspaceisalmosteliminatedbyeaseofcommunication,holdthatwearefallingundertheruleofCrowds,thatistosay,ofbodiesofmensubjectbytheirproximitytowavesofimpulsivesentimentandaction,quitelikemultitudesinphysicalcontiguity。
Acrowdiswellknowntobeemotional,irrationalandsuppressiveofindividuality:
democracy,beingtheruleofthecrowd,willshowthesametraits。
ThepsychologyofcrowdshasbeentreatedatlengthbySighele,[1]LeBon[2]andotherauthorswho,havingmadeaspecialtyofthemaninthethrong,areperhaps,(150)somewhatinclinedtoexaggeratethedegreeinwhichhedepartsfromordinarypersonality。Thecrowdmindnot,asissometimessaid,aquitedifferentthingfromtheoftheindividual(unlessbyindividualismeantthehigherself),butismerelyacollectivemindofaloworderwhichstimulatesandunifiesthecruderimpulsesofitsmembers。Themenaretherebutthey“descendtomeet。”Thelossofrationalcontrolandliabilitytobestampededwhichareitsmaintraitsarenogreaterthanattendalmostanystateofexcitement梩heanger,fear,loveandthelike,Iofthemannotinthecrowd。
Andtheintimidatingeffectofathrongontheindividual梩hestage-fright,letussay,ofaninexperiencedspeaker梚snothingunique,butcloselyresemblesthatwhichwehaveallfeltonfirstapproachinganimposingperson;seemingtospringfromthatvaguedreadofunknownpowerwhichpervadesallconsciouslife。Andlikethelatter,itreadilywearsoff,sothatthepracticedoratorisnevermoreself-possessedthanwiththecrowdbeforehim。
Thepeculiarityofthecrowd-mindismainlyinthereadinesswithwhichanycommunicablefeelingisspreadandaugmented。Justasaheapoffirebrandswillblazewhenoneortwoalonewillchillandgoout,sotheunitsofacrowd“inflameeachotherbymutualsympathyandmutualconsciousnessofit。”[3]Thisismuchfacilitatedbythecircumstancethathabitualactivitiesareusuallyinabeyance,themaninathrongbeinglikeonefallenoverboardinthatheisremovedfromhisordinarysurroundingsandplungedintoastrangeandalarmingelement。Atonceexcitedandintimidated,hereadilytakesonasug-
(151)-gestedemotion梐sofpanic,angerorself-devotion?andproceedstorecklessaction。
Itmustbeadmittedthatmodernconditionsenablesuchcontagiontoworkuponalargerscalethaneverbefore,sothatuwaveoffeelingnowpassesthroughthepeople,bytheaidofthenewspaper,verymuchasiftheywerephysicallyacrowd條ikethewaveofresentment,forinstance,thatsweptoverAmericawhenthebattle-shipMainewasdestroyedinHavanaharbor。Thepopularexcitementoverathleticcontestsisafamiliarexample。Duringthefoot-ballseasontheemotionofthecrowdactuallypresentatafamousgameisdiffusedthroughoutthecountrybypromptandingeniousdevicesthatdepicttheprogressoftheplay;and,indeed,itisjusttogetintothisexcitement,andoutofthemselvesandthehumdrumofroutine,thatthousandsofpeople,mostofwhomknownexttonothingofthegame,readthenewspapersandstandaboutthebulletinboards。Andwhenawarbreaksout,thepeoplereadthepapersinquitethesamespiritthattheRomanpopulacewenttothearena,notsomuchfromanydepravedtasteforblood,astobeinthethrill。Eventheso-called“individualism“ofourtime,andtheunrestingpursuitof“business,“areingreatpartduetoacontagionofthecrowd。
Peoplebecomeexcitedbythegameandwanttobeinit,whethertheyhaveanydefiniteobjectornot;andonceintheythinktheymustkeepupthepaceorgounder。
Isdemocracy,then,theruleofthecrowd,andisthereatendencyinmoderntimestowardthesubjectionofso~cietytoanirrationalanddegeneratephaseofthemind,(152)Thisquestion,likeothersrelatingtothetrendofmodernlife,looksdifferentlyaccordingtothepointsofviewfromwhichitisapproached。Ingeneralwemaysaythattheverychangeswhicharedrawingmodernpopulationstogetherintodenserwholesbringalsoadisciplineinorganizationandself-controlwhichshouldremovethemfurtherandfurtherfromthemobstate。
Itisagreedbywritersonthecrowdthatmenarelittlelikelytobestampededinmattersregardingwhichtheyhaveatrainedhabitofthought梐safireman,forinstance,willbeapttokeephisheadwhenthefire-alarmsounds。Anditisjusttheabsenceofthisthatisthemarkofacrowd,whichisnotmadebymerenumbersandcontiguity,butbygroupexcitabilityarisingfromlackofstableorganization。
Aveteranarmyisnotacrowd,howevernumerousandconcentrated;andnomoreperhapsisaveterandemocracy,thoughitnumbertwentymillionvoters。
Ahealthydemocracyisindeedatraininginjudgmentandself-controlasappliedtopoliticalaction;andjustasafiremanisathomeontremblingladdersandamidstchokingfumes,sothefreecitizenlearnstokeephisheadamidthecontendingpassionsandopinionsofa“fiercedemocratic。”Havingpassedsafelythroughmanydisturbances,hehasacquiredaconfidenceincooljudgmentandintheunderlyingstabilityofthingsimpossibletomenwho,livingunderastrictercontrol,havehadnosucheducation。Heknowswellhowtodiscountsuperficialsentimentand“thespawnofthepressonthegossipofthehour。”Itis,then,thenatureoforderedfreedomtotrainveteransofpolitics,secureagainstthewildimpulsesofarabble梥uchasmadehavocinParisatthecloseof,(153)theFranco-Prussianwar梐ndinmoderntimes,whenpowercannotbekeptawayfromthepeople,suchatrainingisthemainguarantyofsocialstability。
Isitnotapparenttojudiciousobserversthatourtough-fibred,loose-jointedsocietytakesagitationmoresafelythanthemorerigidstructuresofEurope?
Norisitmerelyinpoliticsthatthisistrue,foritisthewholetendencyofafreesystemtotrainmentostandontheirownfeetandresisttherush。Inafixedorder,withlittleopeningforinitiativeordifferentiateddevelopment,theyscarcelyrealizethemselvesasdistinctandself-directingindividuals,andfromthemonemayexpectthetraitsofLeBon’sfoules;hardlyfromtheshrewdfarmersandmechanicsofAmericandemocracy。
Itlooksatfirstsightasif,becauseoftheirdensehumanity,thegreatcitiesinwhichthemajorityofthepopulationareapparentlytolivemusttendtoamoblikestateofmind;butexceptinsofarascitiesattracttheworseelementsofthepeoplethisisprobablynotthecase。Mobphenomenagenerallycomefromcrowdexcitementensuinguponasluggishhabitoflifeandservingasanoutlettothepassionswhichsuchalifestoresup。Wefindthemobandthemob-likereligiousrevivalinthebackcountiesratherthanamongthecheerfulandanimatedpeoplethatthrongtheopenplacesofNewYorkorChicago。
Moreover,itishardlytruethat“themultitudeisalwaysinthewrong“;[4]andconclusionsmaybenoless,(154)soundandvitalforbeingreachedunderacertainexaltationofpopularenthusiasm。Theindividualengagedinprivateaffairsandwithoutthethrillofthecommonlifeisnotmoreapttobeattheheightofhismentalbeingthanthemaninthecrow~l。Aminglingoftheseinfluencesseemstoproducethebestresults,andthehighestrationality,whileitinvolvesmuchploddingthoughtinitspreparation,islikelytocometodefiniteconsciousnessandexpressioninmomentsofsomeexcitement。Asitisthecommonexperienceofartists,poetsandsaintsthattheirbestachievementsaretheoutcomeoflongbrood)
i~gculminatinginakindofecstasy,sotheclearestnotesofdemocracymaybestruckintimesofexaltationlikethatwhich,intheNorthernUnitedStates,followedtheatta。konFortSumter。TheimpulsivenesswhichmarkspOplilarfeelingmayexpresssomebrutalortrivialphaseofhumannature,orsomeprofoundmoralintuition,theonlydefinitetestbeingthepersistenceofthesentimentwhichthuscomestolight;andifitprovestohavethelastingwarrantofthegeneralconscienceitmaybeoneofthosevoicesofthepeopleinwhichposteritywilldiscoverthevoiceofGod。
Theviewthatthecrowdisirrationalanddegenerateischaracteristicofanintricatesocietywherereadinghaslargelytakentheplaceofassemblyasastimulustothought。Inprimitivetimesthesocialexcitementofreligiousandotherfestivalsrepresentedthehigherlife;asitstilldoes,(155)inbackwoodscommunities,andtosluggishtemperamentseverywhere。Eveninthetownsourhighersentimentsarelargelyformedinsocialmeetingsofonesortoranother,accompaniedbymusic,acting,dancingorspeech-making,whichdrawoneoutthemoresolitarycurrentsofhisthoughtandbringhimintolivelierunitywithhisfellows。
Thereisreallynosolidbasisinfactortheoryfortheviewthatestablisheddemocracyistheruleofanirresponsiblecrowd。IfnottrueofAmerica,itfailsasageneralprinciple;
andnoauthoritativeobserverhasfoundittobethecasehere。Thosewhoholdthecrowd-theoryseemtobechieflywriters,whetherFrenchornot,whogeneralizefromthehistoryofFrance。Withoutattemptinganydiscussionofthis,Imaysuggestoneortwopointsthatweareperhapsapttooverlook。
Itis,foronething,bynomeansclearthatFrenchdemocracyhasshownitselftolackthepowerofself-controlanddeliberateprogress。Itsdifficulties梩hepresenceofancientclassdivisions,ofinevitablemilitarism,andthelike梙avebeenimmeasurablygreaterthanours,anditsspiritonewithwhichwedonotreadilysympathize。France,Isuppose,islittleunderstoodinEnglandortheUnitedStates,andweprobablygetourviewstoomuchfromaschoolofFrenchwriterswhosezealtocorrectherfaultsmaytendtoexaggeratethem。ThemorenotoriousexcessesoftheFrenchorParisianpopulace梥uchasarerealandnotafictionofhostilecritics梥eemtohavesprungfromthatexerciseofpowerwithouttraininginevitableinacountrywheredemocracyhadtocomebyrevolution。And,again,acertain,(156),tendencytoactinmasses,andlackofvigorouslocalandprivateinitiative,whichappearstocharacterizeFrance,ismucholderthantheRevolution,andseemsduepartlytoracetraitsandpartlytosuchhistoricalconditionsasthecentralizedstructureinheritedfromabsolutemonarchy:
Endnotes,SeipioSighele,Lafolladelinquente。
FrenchtranslationLafoulecriminelle。GustaveLeBon,Psychologiedesfoules。EnglishtranslationTheCrowd。
Thewholesubject,includingthequestionof“prophylactics“againstthemob-mind’iswelldiseussedinProfessorE。A。Ross’sSocialPsychology,WhatelyinhisnotetoBacon’sessayonDiscourse。AttributedtotheEarlofRoscommon。
SeeBartlett’sFamiliarQuotations。
SirThomasBrownecharacteristicallydescribesthemultitudeas“thatnumerouspieceofmonstrosity,which,takenasunder,seemmen,andthereasonablecreaturesofGod,butconfusedtogether,makebutonegreatbeast,andamonstrositymoreprodigiousthanHydra。”ReligioMedici,partii,sec。1。Thisistheverymanthaturgedtheburningofwitchesafterthemultitudewasreadytogiveitup。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter15:DemocracyandDistinction,CHAPTERXV
DEMOCRACYANDDISTINCTION,THEPROBLEM——DEMOCRACYSHOULDBEDISTINGUISHEDFROMTRANSITION——
THEDEAD-LEVELTHEORYOFDEMOCRACY——CONFUSIONANDITSEFFECTS——“INDIVIDUALISM“
MAYNOTBEFAVORABLETODISTINGUISHEDINDIVIDUALITY——CONTEMPORARYUNIFORMITY——
RELATIVEADVANTAGESOFAMERICAANDEUROPE——HAST,SUPERFICIALITY,STRAIN——
SPIRITUALECONOMYOFASETTLEDORDER——COMMERCIALISM——ZEALFORDIFFUSION——
CONCLUSION
WHATshallwesayofthedemocratictrendofthemodernworldasitaffectsthefinersortofintellectualachievement?Whiletheconsciousswayofthemassesseemsnotuncongenialtothemorepopularandobviouskindsofeminence,asofstatesmen,inventors’soldiers,financiersandthelike,therearemanywhobelieveittobehostiletodistinctioninliterature,artorscience。Istherehopeforthisalso’ormustwehecontenttooffsetthedearthofgreatnessbytheabundanceofmediocrity?
This,Itakeit,isamatterforaprioripsychologicalreasoningratherthanforcloseinductionfromfact。Thepresentdemocraticmovementissodifferentfromanythinginthepastthathistoricalcomparisonofanylargesortisnearlyorquiteworthless。And,moreover,itissoboundupwithotherconditionswhicharenotessentialtoitandmaywellprovetransient,thatevencontemporaryfactgivesusverylittlesecureguidance。Allthatisreallypracticableisasurveyofthebroadprinciplesatworkandaroughattempttoforecasthowtheymay,(158)workout。Aninquiryofthissortseemstometoleadtoconclusionssomewhatasfollows。
First,thereis,Ibelieve,nosoundreasonforthinkingthatthedemocraticspiritororganizationisinitsessentialnaturehostiletodistinguishedproduction。Indeed,onewhoholdsthattheoppositeisthecase,whilehewillnotbeabletosilencethepessimist,willfindlittleinfactortheorytoshakehisownfaith。
Second,althoughdemocracyitselfisnothostile,sofaraswecanmakeoutitsnaturebygeneralreasoning,thereismuchthatissointhepresentstateofthought,bothintheworldatlargeand,moreparticularly,intheUnitedStates。
Inthis,asinalldiscussionsregardingcontemporarytendency,weneedtodiscriminatebetweendemocracyandtransition。Atpresentthetwogotogetherbecausedemocracyisnew;butthereisnoreasoninthenatureofthingswhytheyshouldremaintogether。Aspopularrulebecomesestablisheditprovescapableofdevelopingastability,evenarigidity,ofitsown;
anditisalreadyapparentthattheUnitedStates,forinstance,justbecausedemocracyhashaditswaythere,islessliabletosuddentransitionsthanperhapsanyotherofthegreatnations。
Itistruethatdemocracyinvolvessomeelementsofpermanentunrest。
Thus,bydemandingopenopportunityandresistinghereditarystratification,itwillprobablymaintainacompetitionofpersonsmoregeneral,andasregardspersonalstatusmoreunsettling,thananythingtheworldhasbeenusedtointhepast。Butpersonalcompetitionaloneisthecauseofonlyasmallpartofthe,(159)stressanddisorderofourtime;muchmorebeingduetogeneralchangesinthesocialsystem,particularlyinindustry,whichwemaydescribeastransition。Andmoreover)competitionitselfisinaspeciallydisorderedortransitionalstateatpresent,andwilli。elessdisquietingwhenamoresettledstateofsocietypermitsittobecarriedonunderestablishedrulesofjustice,andwhenadiscriminatingeducationshalldoalargepartofitswork~Inshort,democracyisnotnecessarilyconfusion,andweshallfindreasontothinkthatitisthelatter,chiefly,thatisopposedtodistinction。
Theviewthatpopularruleisinitsnatureunsuitedtofostergeniusrestschieflyonthedead-leveltheory。Equalitynotdistinctionissaidtobethepassionofthemasses,diffusionnotconcentration。Everythingmovesonavastandvasterscale:thefacilityofintercourseismeltingtheworldintoonefluidwholeinwhichthesingleindividualismoreandmoresubmerged。Theeraofsalientpersonalitiesispassingaway,andtheprincipleofequality,whichensurestheelevationofmeningeneral,isfataltoparticulargreatness。“Inmodernsociety,“saidDeTocqueville,thechiefbegetterofthisdoctrine,“everythingthreatenstobecomesomuchalikethatthepeculiarcharacteristicsofeachindividualwillsoonbeentirelylostinthegeneralaspectoftheworld。”[1]ShallweagreewiththisormaintainwithPlatothatademocracywillhavethegreatestvarietyofhumannature?[2]
(160)
Perhapsthemostplausiblebasisforthistheoryisthelevellingeffectascribedbymanytothefacilitiesforcommunicationthathavegrownupsosurprisinglywithinthepastcentury。InaformerchapterIhavesaidmuchuponthismatter,holdingthatwemustdistinguishbetweentheindividualityofchoiceandthatofisolation,andgivingreasonswhythemodernfacilityofintercourseshouldbefavorabletotheformer。
Tothiswemayaddthatthemerefactofpopularrulehasnoinevitableconnection,eitherfriendlyorhostile,withvarietyandvigorofindividuality。
IfFranceissomewhatlackinginthese,itisnotbecausesheisdemocratic,butbecauseoftheracetraitsofherpeopleandherpeculiarantecedents;
ifAmericaaboundsinacertainkindofindividuality,itischieflybecausesheinheriteditfromEnglandanddevelopeditinafrontierlife。Ineithercasedemocracy,inthesenseofpopulargovernment,isasecondarymatter。
Certainly,Americaisaratherconvincingproofthatdemocracydoesnotnecessarilysuppresssalientpersonality。Sofarasindividualityofspiritisconcerned,ourlifeleaveslittletobedesired,andnotraitimpressesitselfmorethanthisuponobserversfromthecontinentofEurope。
“AllthingsgrowclearintheUnitedStates,“saysPaulBourget,“whenoneunderstandsthemasanimmenseactoffaithinthesocialbeneficenceofindividualenergylefttoitself。”*The“individualism“ofoursocialsystemisacommonplaceofcontemporarywriters。Nowhereelse,noteveninEngland,Isuppose,istheremorerespectfornon-conformityormoredispositionto,(161)assertit。Inourintenselycompetitivelifemenlearntovaluecharacterabovesimilarity,andonewhohascharactermayholdwhatopinionshepleases。Personality,asMr。BrownellpointsoutincontrastingtheAmericanswiththeFrench,istheonethingofuniversalinteresthere:
ourconversation,ournewspapers,ourelectionsaredominatedbyit,andourgreatcommercialtransactionsarelargelyastruggleforsupremacyamongrivalleaders。[4]Theaugmentingnumbersofthepeople,farfromobscuringthesalientindividual,onlymakeforhimalargertheatreofsuccess;andpersonalreputation梬hetherforwealth,statesmanship,literaryachievement,orformeresingularity梚sorganizedonagreaterscalethaneverbefore。OnewhoisfamiliarwithanyprovinceofAmericanlife,asforexample,thatofcharitableandpenalreform,isawarethatalmosteveryadvanceismadethroughtheembodimentoftimelyideasinoneorafewenergeticindividualswhosetanexampleforthecountrytofollow。Experiencewithnumbers,insteadofshowingtheinsignificanceoftheindividual,provesthatifhehasfaithandaworthyaimthereisnolimittowhathemaydo;andwefind,accordingly,plentyofcourageinstartingnewprojects。Thecountryisfullofmenwhofindthejoysofself-assertion,ifnotalwaysofoutwardsuccess,intheboldpursuitofhazardousenterprises。
Ifthereisadeficiencyofliteraryandartisticachievementinademocracyofthiskind,itisduetosomeothercausethanageneralsubmergenceoftheindividualinthemass。
Thedead-leveltheory,then,issufficientlydiscredited,(162)asagenerallawbytheundiminishedascendancyofsalientindividualitiesineveryprovinceofactivity。Theenlargementofsocialconsciousnessdoesnotaltertheessentialrelationofindividualitytolife,butsimplygivesitagreaterfieldofsuccessorfailure。Themanofgeniusmaymeetwithmorecompetition,butifheistrulygreatalargerworldishis。
Toimaginethatthemasswillsubmergetheindividualistosupposethatoneaspectofsocietywillstandstillwhiletheothergrows。Itrestsuponasuperficial,numericalwayofthinking,whichregardsindividualsasfixedunitseachofwhichmustbecomelessconspicuousthemoretheyaremultiplied。Butifthemanofgeniusrepresentsaspiritualprinciplehisinfluenceisnotfixedbutgrowswiththegrowthoflifeitself,andislimitedonlybythevitalityofwhathestandsfor。Surelythegreatmenofthepast桺lato,Dante,Shakespeareandtherest梐renotsubmerged,norindangerofbeing;norisitapparentwhytheirsuccessorsshouldbe。
Therealcauseofliteraryandartisticweakness(insofarasitexists)
Itaketobechieflythespiritualdisorganizationincidenttoatimeofrathersuddentransition。Howthiscondition,andotherscloselyassociatedwithit,areunfavorabletogreataestheticproduction,Ishalltrytopointoutunderthefourheads,confusion,commercialism,hasteandzealfordiffusion。
Withreferencetothehigherproductsofculture,notonlytheUnitedStates,butinsomedegreecontemporarycivilizationingeneral,isaconfused,araw,society,notasbeingdemocraticbutasbeingnew。Itisourwholenewspaperandfactoryepochthatiscrude,andscarcely,(163)moresoinAmericathaninEnglandorGermany;themaindifferenceinfavorofEuropeancountriesbeingthatthepresentcannotsoeasilybeseparatedfromtheconditionsofanearlierculture。Itisageneraltraitofthetimethatsocialtypesaredisintegrated,oldonesgoingtopiecesandnewonesnotperfected,leavingtheindividualwithoutadequatedisciplineeitherintheoldorinthenew。
Nowworksofenduringgreatnessseemtodepend,amongotherthings,onacertainripenessofhistoricalconditions。Nomatterhowgiftedanindividualmaybe,heisinnowayapartfromhistime,buthastotakethatandmakethebestofithecan;themanofgeniusisinonepointofviewonlyatwiguponwhichamaturetendencybearsitsperfectfruit。
Inthenewepochthevastthingsinprocessareasyetsounfinishedthatindividualgiftsarescarcesufficienttobringanythingtoaclassicalcompleteness;sothatourliferemainssomewhatinarticulate,ourliterature,andstillmoreourplasticart,beinginadequateexponentsofwhatismostvitalinthemodernspirit。
Thepsychologicaleffectofconfusionisalackofmatureculturegroups,andofwhattheyonlycandoforintellectualoraestheticproduction。
Whatthismeansmay,perhaps,bemadeclearerbyacomparisondrawnfromathleticsports。Wefindinourcollegesthattoproduceawinningfoot-ballteam,ordistinguishedperformanceinrunningorjumping,itisessentialfirstofalltohaveaspiritofintenseinterestinthesethings,whichshallarousetheambitionofthosehavingnaturalgifts,supportthemintheirtrainingandrewardtheirsuccess。With,(164)outthisgroupspiritnoefficientorganization,nohighstandardofachievement,canexist,andasmallinstitutionthathasthiswilleasilysurpassalargeonethatlacksit。Andexperienceshowsthatittakesmuchtimetoperfectsuchaspiritandtheorganizationsthroughwhichitisexpressed。
Inquitethesamewayanyripedevelopmentofproductivepowerinliteraryorotnerartimpliesnotmerelycapableindividualsbuttheperfectionofasocialgroup,whosetraditionsandspirittheindividualabsorbs,andwhichfloatshimuptoapointwhencehecanreachuniqueachievement。
Theunityofthisgrouportypeisspiritual,notnecessarilylocalortemporal,andsomaybedifficulttotrace,butitsrealityisassureastheprinciplethatmanisasocialbeingandcannotthinksanelyandsteadfastlyexceptinsomesortofsympathywithhisfellows。Theremustbeotherswhomwecanconceiveassharing,corroboratingandenhancingourideals,andtonooneismorenecessarythanthemanofgenius。
Thegroupislikelytobemoreapparentortangibleinsomeartsthaninothers:itisgenerallyquiteevidentinpainting,sculpture,architectureandmusic,wherearegulardevelopmentbythepassageofinspirationfromoneartisttoanothercanalmostalwaysbetraced。Inliteraturetheconnectionsarelessobvious,chieflybecausethisartisinitsmethodsmoredisengagedfromtimeandplace,sothatitiseasiertodrawinspirationfromdistantsources。Itisalsopartlyamatteroftemperament,menofsomewhatsolitaryimaginationbeingabletoformtheirgroupoutofremotepersonalities,andsotobealmostindependentoftimeandplace。ThusThoreau,(165)livedwiththeGreekandHindooclassics,withtheoldEnglishpoets,andwiththesuggestionsofnature;butevenheowedmuchtocontemporaryinfluences,andthemoreheisstudiedthelesssolitaryheappears。IsnotthisthecasealsowithWordsworth,withDante,withallmenwhoaresupposedtohavestoodalone?
Themostcompetentofallauthoritiesonthisquestion?Goethe梬asafullbelieverinthedependenceofgeniusoninfluences。“Peoplearealwaystalkingaboutoriginality,“hesays,“butwhatdotheymean?Assoonasweareborntheworldbeginstoworkuponus,andthisgoesontotheend。Andafterallwhatcanwecallourownexceptenergy,strengthandwill?IfIcouldgiveanaccountofallthatIowetogreatpredecessorsandcontemporaries,therewouldbebutasmallbalanceinmyfavor。”[5]Heevenheldthatmenofgeniusaredependentupontheirenvironmentthanothers;for,beingthinner-skinned,theyaremoresuggestible,moreperturbable,andpeculiarlyinneedoftherightsortofsurroundingstokeeptheirdelicatemachineryinfruitfulaction。
Nodoubtsuchquestionsaffordgroundforinfinitedebate,buttheunderlyingprinciplethatthethoughtofeverymanisonewiththatofagroup,visibleorinvisible,issure,Ithink,toprovesound;andifsoitisindispensablethatagreatcapacityshouldfindaccesstoagroupwhoseidealsandstandardsareofasorttomakethemostofit。
Anotherreasonwhytherawnessofthemodernworldisunfavorabletogreatproductionisthattheidealsthemselveswhichagreatartshouldexpressshareinthegen-
(166)-eralincompletenessofthingsanddonotpresentthemselvestothemindclearlydefinedandincarnateinvividsymbols。Perhapsacertainfragmentarinessandpettinessincontemporaryartandliteraturejsduemoretothiscausethantoanyother梩othefactthattheaspirationsofthetime,largeenough,certainly,aretoomuchobscuredinsmoketobeclearlyandsteadilyregarded。Wemaybelieve,forexample,indemocracy,butitcanhardlybesaidthatweseedemocracy,asthemiddleages,intheirart,sawtheChristianreligion。
Fromthispointofviewofgroupsandorganizationitiseasytounderstandwhythe“individualism“ofourepochdoesnotnecessarilyproducegreatindividuals。Individualitymayeasilybeaggressiveandyetfutile,becausenotbasedonthetrainingaffordedbywell-organizedtypes條ikethefruitlessvalorofanisolatedsoldier。Mr。BrownellpointsoutthattheprevalenceofthissortofindividualityinourartandlifeisapointofcontrastbetweenusandtheFrench。Paris,comparedwithNewYork,hasthe“organicqualitywhichresultsfromvarietyoftypes,“asdistinguishedfromvarietyofindividuals。“Wedofarbetterintheproductionofstrikingartisticpersonalitiesthanwedointhegeneralmediumoftasteandculture。Wefigurewell,invariably,attheSalon……Comparativelyspeaking,ofcourse,wehavenomilieu。”*
ThesameconditionsunderliethatcomparativeuniformityofAmericanlifewhichweariesthevisitorandimplantsinthenativesuchapassionforEurope。When,(167)apopuloussocietyspringsuprapidlyfromafewtransplantedseeds,itsstructure,howevervast,isnecessarilysomewhatsimpleandmonotonous。Athousandtowns,tenthousandchurches,amillionhouses,arebuiltonthesamemodels,andthepeopleandthesocialinstitutionsdonotaltogetherescapeasimilarpovertyoftypes。Nodoubtthisissometimesexaggerated,andAmericadoespresentmanypicturesquevariations,butonlyarecklessenthusiasmwillequalthemwiththoseofEurope。Howunspeakablyinferiorinexterioraspectandinmanyinnerconditionsofculturemustanyrecentcivilizationbetothat,letussay,ofItaly,whoseaccumulatedrichesrepresentthedepositofseveralthousandyears。
Suchdeposits,however,belongtothepast;andasregardscontemporaryaccretionsthesamenessofLondonorRomeishardlylessthanthatofChicago。
Itisamatteroftheepoch,moreconspicuousherechieflybecauseithashadfullersweep。Aheavyfallofcrudecommercialismisrapidlyobscuringthecontoursofhistory。
IncomparisonwithEuropeAmericahastheadvantagesthatcomefrombeingmorecompletelyinthenewercurrentofthings。Itisnearer,perhaps,tothespiritofthecomingorder,andsoperhapsmorelikely,induetime,togiveitadequateutteranceinart。Anotherbenefitofbeingnewistheattitudeofconfidencethatitfosters。IfAmericacouldhardlyhavesustainedtheassuredmasteryofTennyson,neither,perhaps,couldEnglandanoptimismlikethatofEmerson。Incontrasttothelatter,Carlyle,RuskinandTolstoi梡rophetsofanolderworld梐reshadowedbyafeelingoftheascendancyandinertia,(168)ofancientandsomewhatdecadentinstitutions。Theyareafraidofthem,andsoareapttoberathershrillinprotest。AnAmerican,accustomedtoseehumannaturehaveprettymuchitsownway,hasseldomanyseriousmistrustoftheoutcome。Nearlyallofourwriters梐sEmerson,Longfellow,Lowell,Whittier,Holmes,Thoreau,Whitman,evenHawthorne梙avebeenofacheerfulandwholesomepersonality。[7]
Ontheotherhand,anoldcivilizationhasfromitsmereantiquityarichnessandcomplexityofspirituallifethatcannotbetransplantedtoanewworld。Theimmigrantsbringwiththemthetraditionsofwhichtheyfeelinimmediateneed,suchasthosenecessarytofoundthestate,thechurchandthefamily;buteventheselosesomethingoftheiroriginalflavor,whilemuchofwhatissubtlerandlessevidentlyusefulisleftbehind。Wemustremember,too,thatthecultureoftheOldWorldischieflyaclassculture,andthattheimmigrantshavemostlycomefromaclassthathadnogreatpartinit。
Withthisgoeslossofthevisiblemonumentsofcultureinheritedfromthepast梐rchitecture,painting,sculpture,ancientuniversitiesandthelike。Burne-Jones,theEnglishpainter,speakingofthecommercialcityinwhichhespenthisyouth,says:……“iftherehadbeenonecastfromancientGreeksculpture,oronefaithfulcopyofagreatItalianpicture,tobeseeninBirminghamwhenIwasaboy,IshouldhavebeguntopainttenyearsbeforeIdid……eventhesilentpresenceofgreatworksinyourtownwillproduceanimpressiononthosewhoseethem,andthenextgenerationwill,withoutknowing,(169)howorwhy,finditeasiertolearnthanthisonedoeswhosesurroundingsaresounlovely。”*
NorisAmericanlifefavorabletotherapidcrystallizationofanewartisticculture;itistootransientandrestless;transatlanticmigrationisfollowedbyinternalmovementsfromeasttowestandfromcitytocountry;
whileontopofthesewehaveacontinuoussubversionofindustrialrelationstAnotherelementofspecialconfusioninourlifeistheheadlongmixtureofraces,temperamentsandtraditionsthatcomesfromthenewimmigration,fromtheirruptionbymillionsofpeoplesfromthesouthandeastoftheOldWorld。Iftheywerewhollyinferior,aswesometimesimagine,itwouldperhapsnotmattersomuch;butthetruthisthattheycontesteveryintellectualfunctionwiththeolderstock,and,intheuniversitiesforinstance,areshortlyfoundteachingourchildrentheirownhistoryandliterature。Theyassimilate,butalwayswithadifference,andinthenorthernUnitedStates,formerlydominatedbyNewEnglandinfluences,arevolutionfromthiscauseiswellunderway。Itisasifakettleofbrothwerecookingquietlyonthefire,whensomeoneshouldcomeinandaddsuddenlyagreatpailfulofrawmeats,vegetablesandspices梐richcombination,possibly,butlikelytorequiremuchboiling。ThatfineEnglishsentimentthatcamedowntousthroughthecolonistsmorepurely,perhaps,thantotheEnglishintheoldcountry,ispassing,(170)away梐sadistinctcurrent,thatis條ostinafloodofcosmopolitanlife。Beforeus,nodoubt,isalargerhumanity,butbehindisacherishedspiritthatcanhardlyliveagain;and,likethetroywholeaveshome,wemustturnourthoughtsfromanirrevocablepastandgohopefullyontoweknownotwhat。
Inshort,ourworldlacksmaturityofcultureorganization。Whatwesometimescall梩rulyenoughasregardsitseconomiclife梠urcomplexcivilization,issimpletothepointofpovertyinspiritualstructure。Wehavecastoffmuchrubbishanddecayandarepreparing,wemayreasonablyhope,toproduceanartandliteratureworthyofourvigorandaspiration,butinthepast,certainly,wehavehardlydoneso。
Hasteandthesuperficialityandstrainwhichattenduponitarewidelyandinsidiouslydestructiveofgoodworkinourday。Nootherconditionofmindorofsociety?notignorance,poverty,oppressionorhate梜illsartashastedoes。Almostanyphaseoflifemaybeennobledifthereisonlycalmenoughinwhichthebroodingmindmaydoitsperfectworkuponit;butoutofhurrynothingnobleeverdidorcanemerge。Inarthumannatureshouldcometoatotal,adequateexpression;aspiritualtendencyshouldbeperfectedandrecordedincalmnessandjoy。Butoursis,onthewhole,atimeofstress,ofthehabitofincompletework;itsproductsareunlovelyandunrestfulandsuchasthefuturewillhavenojoyin。
Thepaceissuitedonlytoturnoutmediocregoodsonavastscale。
Itis,toputthematterotherwise,aloudtime。The,(171)newspapers,theadvertising,thegeneralinsistenceofsuggestion,haveaneffectofdin,sothatonefeelsthathemustraisehisvoicetobeheard,andthewhispersofthegodsatehardtocatch。Menwhosevoicesarenaturallylowandfineeasilylosethistraitintheworldandbegintoshoutliketherest。Thatistosay,theyexaggerateandrepeatandadvertiseandcaricature,sayingtoomuchinthehopethatalittlemaybeheard。Ofcourse,inthelongrunthisisafataldelusion;nothingwillreallybelistenedtoexceptthatwhosequiettruthmakesitworthhearing;butitisonesorootedinthegeneralstateofthingsthatfewescapeit。Eventhosewhopreservethelowertonedosowithaneffortwhichisinitselfdisquieting。
Astrenuousstateofmindisalwayspartialandspecial,sacrificingscopetointensityandmorefittedforexecutionthaninsight。Itisusefulattimes,butifhabitualcutsusofffromthatseaofsubconsciousspiritfromwhichalloriginalpowerflows。“Theworldofart,“saysPaulBourget,speakingofAmerica,“requireslessself-consciousness梐nimpulseoflifewhichforgetsitself,thealternationsofdreamyidlenesswithfervidexecution。”。[10]SoHenryJames[11]remarksthatwehavepracticallylostthefacultyofattention,meaning,Isuppose,thatunstrenuous,broodingsortofattentionrequiredtoproduceorappreciateworksofart梐ndasregardstheprevalenttypeofbusinessorprofessionalmindthisseemsquitetrue。
Itcomesmainlyfromhavingtoomanythingstothinkof,fromtheurgencyanddistractionofanepochanda,(172)countryinwhichthetraditionalstructuresthatsupportthemindandsaveitsenergyhavelargelygonetopieces。Theendeavortosupplybywillfunctionsthatinotherconditionswouldbeautomaticcreatesarushwhichimitationrendersepidemic,andfromwhichitisnoteasytoescapeinordertomatureone’spowersinfruitfulquiet。
Thereisanimmensespiritualeconomyinanysettledstateofsociety,sufficient,sofarasproductionisconcerned,tooffsetmuchthatisstagnantoroppressive;thewillissavedandconcentrated;whilefreedom,asDeTocquevillenoted,sometimesproduces“asmall,distressingmotion,asortofincessantjostlingofmen,whichannoysanddisturbsthemindwithoutexcitingorelevatingit。”[12]Themodernartisthastoomuchchoice。
Ifheattemptstodeallargelywithlife,hiswillisoverworkedattheexpenseofaestheticsynthesis。Freedomandopportunityarewithoutlimit,allcultureswithinhisreachandsplendidserviceawaitingperformance。
Butthetaskofcreatingagladwholeseemsbeyondanyordinarymeasureoftalent。Theresultinmostcases梐shasbeensaidofarchitecture梚s“confusionoftypes,illiteratecombinations,anevidentbreathlessnessofeffortandstrivingforeffect,withtheinevitablelossofrepose,dignityandstyle。”[13]AmediaevalcathedraloraGreektemplewastheculminationofalongsocialgrowth,agradual,deliberate,corporateachievement,towhichtheindividualtalentaddedonlythefinishingtouch。
Themodernarchitecthas,no,(173)doubt,asmuchpersonalability,butthedemandsuponitareexcessive;
itwouldseemthatonlyatranscendentsyntheticgeniusofthecalibreofDantecoulddealadequatelywithourscatteredconditions。
Thecauseofstrainisradicalandsomewhatfeverishchange,notdemocracyassuch。Alargepartofthepeople,particularlythefarmingclass,arelittleaffectedbyit,andthereareindicationsthatinAmerica,whereithasbeengreaterthanelsewhere,theworstisnowover。
Bycommercialism,inthisconnection,wemayunderstandapreoccupationoftheabilityofthepeoplewithmaserialproductionandwiththetradeandfinancebaseduponit。Thisagainisinpartatraitoftheperiod,inpartapeculiarityofAmerica,initscharacterasanewcountrywithstumpstogetoutandmaterialcivilizationtoerectfromthegroundup。
Theresultofitisthatabilityfindsconstantopportunityandincitementtotakeacommercialdirection,andlittletofollowpureartorletters。
Amanlikestosucceedinsomething,andifheisconsciousofthecapacitytomakehiswayinbusinessorprofessionallife,heisindisposedtoendurethepoverty,uncertaintyandindifferencewhichattendthepursuitofanartisticcalling。Lessprosperoussocietiesowesomethingtothatverylackofopportunitywhichmakesitlesseasyforartisticabilitytotakeanotherdirection。
Anevengreaterperilisthedebasingofartbyanunculturedmarket。
Thereseemtobeplentyofartistsofeverykind,buttheirstandardofsuccessismostlylow。Thebeginnertooearlygetscommercialemploymentin,(174)whichheisnothelduptoanyhighideal。Thisbringsusbacktothelackofawell-knitartistictraditiontoeducateboththeartistandthepublic,thelackofatype,“thenon-existence“asMr。RussellSturgissays;“Ofanartisticcommunitywithamindofitsownandacertaingeneralagreementastowhataworkofartoughttobe。”Thislackinvolvestheweaknessofthecriticismwhichisrequiredtomaketheartistseehimselfasheoughttobe。“Thatcriticismisnowhereinproportiontotheneedofit,“saysHenryJames,“isthevisitingobserver’sfirstandlastimpression梐nimpressionsoconstantthatitattimesswallowsuporelbowsouteveryother。”
Theantipathybetweenartandthecommercialspirit,however,isoftenmuchoverstated。Asamatterofhistoryartandliteraturehaveflourishedmostconspicuouslyinprosperouscommercialsocieties,suchasAthens,Florence,Venice,thecommunesofthethirteenthandfourteenthcenturies,thetradingcitiesofGermany,theDutchRepublicandtheEnglandofElizabeth。
Nothingdoesmorethancommercetoawakenintelligence,enterpriseandafreespirit,andthesearefavorabletoidealproduction。Itisonlytheextremeone-sidednessofourcivilizationinthisregardthatisprejudicial。
Itisalsotrue梐ndherewetouchuponsomethingpertainingmoretotheverynatureofdemocracythanthematterssofarmentioned梩hatthezealfordiffusionwhichspringsfromcommunicationandsympathyhasinitmuchthatisnotdirectlyfavorabletothefinersortsofproduction。
Whichisthebetter,fellowshipordistinction?There,(175)ismuchtobesaidonbothsides,butthefinerspiritsofourdayleantowardtheformer,andfinditmorehumanandexhilaratingtospreadabroadthegoodthingsthewnrldalreadyhasthantoprosecutealonesomesearchfornewones。lnoticeamongthechoicestpeoplelknow梩hosewhoseemtomemostrepresentativeoftheinnertrendofdemocracy梐certaingenerouscontemptfordistinctionandapassiontocasttheirlivesheartilyonthegeneralcurrent。Butthehighestthingsarelargelythosewhichdonotimmediatelyyieldfellowshipordiffusejoy。Thoughmakingintheendforageneralgood,theyareasprivateintheirdirectactionasselfishnessitself,fromwhichtheyarenotalwayseasilydistinguished。Theyinvolveintenseself-consciousness。Probablymenwhofollowthewhispersofgeniuswillalwaysbemoreorlessatoddswiththeirfellows。
Ours,then,isanAgeofDiffusion。Thebestmindsandheartsseekjoyandself-forgetfulnessinactiveservice,asinanothertimetheymightseekitinsolitaryworship;God,asweoftenhear,beingsoughtmorethroughhumanfellowshipandlessbywayofisolateself-consciousnessthanwasthecaseashorttimesince。
Ineedhardlyparticularizetheeducationalandphilanthropiczealthat,inoneformoranother,incitesthebettermindsamongourcontemporariesandmakesthemfeelguiltywhentheyarenotinsomewayexertingthemselvestospreadabroadmaterialorspiritualgoods。Noonewouldwishtoseethiszealdiminished;andperhapsitmakesinthelongrunforeverykindofworthyachievement;butitsimmediateeffectisoftentomultiplythecommonplace,givingpointtoDeTocqueville’sreflection,(176)that“inaristocraciesafewgreatpicturesareproduced,indemocraticcountriesavastnumberofinsignificantones。”[14]Inaspiritualaswellasamaterialsensethereistotendencytofabricatecheapgoodsfortanuncriticalmarket。“Menandgodsaretooextense。”[15]Finally,alltheoriesthataimtodeducefromsocialconditionsthelimitsofpersonalachievementmustbereceivedwithmuchcaution。Itistheverynatureofavirilesenseofselftorevoltfromtheusualandtheexpectedandpursuealonesomeroad。Ofcourseitmusthavesupport,butitmayfindthisinliteratureandimaginativeintercourse。So,inspiteofeverything,wehavehadinAmericamenofsignaldistinction梥uch,forinstance,asEmerson,ThoreauandWhitman梐ndweshallnodoubthavemore。Weneedfearnodearthofinspiringissues;forifoldonesdisappearenergeticmindswillalwayscreatenewonesbymakinggreaterdemandsuponlife。
Theveryfactthatourtimehassolargelycastoffallsortsofstructureisinonewayfavorabletoenduringproduction,sinceitmeansthatwehavefallenbackuponhumannature,uponthatwhichispermanentandessential,theadequaterecordofwhichisthechiefagentingivinglifetoanyproductofthemind。
Endnotes,DemcracyinAmerica,vol。ii,bookiv,chap。7。Butelsewhereheexpressestheopinionthatthislevellingandconfusionisonlytemporary。See,forexample,bookiii,chap。21。Republic,bookviii。Outre-Mer。EnglishTranslation,306。SeethefinalchapterofhisFrenchTraits。ConversationwithEckermann,May12,1825。FrenchTraits,385,387,393。Poeistheonlynotableexceptionthatoccurstome。MemorialsofEdwardBurne-Jones,ii,100,101。Ourmostnotablegroupofwriters梖lourishingatConcordandBostonabout1850梚s,ofcourse,connectedwiththematuring,inpartialisolation,ofalocaltypeofculture,nowdisintegratedanddispersedonthewidercurrentsofthetime。Outre-Mer,25。InhisessayonBalzac。DemocracyinAmerica,vol。ii,booki,chap。10。HenryVanBrunt,GreekLines,225。Someofthesephrases,suchas“illiteratecombinations,“couldneverapplytotheworkofgoodarchitects。DemocracyinAmerica,vol。ii,booki,chap。11。Emerson,AlphonsoofCastile。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter16:TheTrendofSentiment,CHAPTERXVI,THETRENDOFSENTIMENT
MEANINGANDGENERALTRENDOFSENTIMENT——ATTENUATION——
REFINEMENT——SENSEOFJUSTICE——TRUTHASJUSTICE——ASREALISM——
ASEXPEDIENCY——ASECONOMYOFATTENTION——HOPEFULNESS
BYsentimentImeansocializedfeeling,feelingwhichhasbeenraisedbythoughtandintercourseoutofitsmerelyinstinctivestateandbecomeproperlyhuman。Itimpliesimagination,andthemediuminwhichitchieflylivesissympatheticcontactwiththemindsofothers。Thusloveisasentiment,whilelustisnot;resentmentis,butnotrage;thefearofdisgraceorridicule,butnotanimalterror,andsoon。Sentimentisthechiefmotivepoweroflife,andasaruleliesdeeperinourmindsandislesssubjecttoessentialchangethanthought,fromwhich,however,itisnottobetoosharplyseparated。
Twotraitsinthegrowthofsentimentareperhapscharacteristicofmodernlife,bothofwhich,aswillappear,arecloselyboundupwiththeotherpsychologicalchangesthathavealreadybeendiscussed。
Firstatrendtowarddiversification:undertheimpulseofagrowingdiversityofsuggestionandintercoursemanynewvarietiesandshadesofsentimentaredeveloped。Likeastreamwhichisdistributedforirrigation,(178)
thegeneralcurrentofsocialfeelingisdrawnoffintomanysmallchannels。
Secondatrendtowardhumanism,meaningbythisawiderreachandapplicationofthesentimentsthatnaturallyprevailinthefamiliarintercourseofprimarygroups。Followingatendencyevidentinallphasesofthesocialmind,theseexpandandorganizethemselvesattheexpenseofsentimentsthatgowiththemoreformaloroppressivestructuresofanearlierepoch。
Thediversificationofsentimentseemstoinvolvesomedegreeofattenuation,ordeclineinvolume,andalsosomegrowthofrefinement。
BytheformerImeanthattheconstantandvarieddemandsuponfeelingwhichmodernlifemakes梚ncontrasttotheoccasionalbutoftenseveredemandsofamoreprimitivesociety梘iverise,verymuchasinthecaseoftheirrigatingstream,totheneedandpracticeofmoreeconomyandregularityintheflow,sothat“animatedmoderation“[1]infeelingsucceedsthealternationsofapathyandexplosioncharacteristicofarudercondition。Thusouremotionalexperienceismadeupofdiversebutforthemostpartrathermildexcitements,sothatthemanmostathomeinourcivilization,thoughmorenimbleinsentimentthanthemanofanearlierorder,isperhapssomewhatinferiorindepth。Somethingofthesamedifferencecanbeseenbetweenthecitymanandthefarmer;whilethelatterisinferiorinversatilityandreadinessoffeeling,hehasagreaterstoreofitlaidup,whichisapttogivesuperiordepthandmomentumtosuch,(179)sentimentashedoescherish。Whohasnotexperiencedthelong-mindedfaithfulnessandkindness,orperhapsresentment,ofcountrypeople,andcontrastedthemwiththelessstablefeelingsofthosewholiveamoreurbanelife?
Insayingthatlifetendstowardrefinementitisonlyageneraltrendthatisasserted。Wemustadmitthatmanyphasesofrefinedsentimenthavebeenmoreperfectlyfeltandexpressedinthepastthantheyarenow;butthisisamatterofthematurityofspecialtypesofculture,ratherthanofgeneralprogress。ThustheItalianRenaissanceproducedwondersofrefinementinart,asinthepainting,letussay,ofBotticelli;butitwas,onthewhole,abloody,harshandsensualtimecomparedwithours,atimewhenassassination,tortureandrapeweremattersofeveryday。So,also,thereisarefinementofthesenseoflanguageinShakespeareandhiscontemporarieswhichwecanonlyadmire,whiletheirplaysdepictarathergrossstateoffeeling。AcourseofreadinginEnglishfiction,beginningwithChaucerandendingwithJames,HowellsandMrsWard,wouldcertainlyleavetheimpressionthatoursensibilitieshad,onthewhole,grownfiner。
Andthisisevenmoretrueofthecommonpeoplethanofthewell-to-doclasswithwhichliteratureischieflyoccupied:thetendencytothediffusionofrefinementbeingmoremarkedthanitsincreaseinafavoredorder。Thesharpcontrastinmannersandfeelingsbetweenthe“gentleman,“asformerlyunderstood,andthepeasant,artisanandtradingclasseshaspartlydisappeared。
(180)Differencesinwealthandoccupationnolongernecessitatedifferencesinrealculture,theopportunitiesforwhicharecomingtobeopentoallclasses,andinAmerica,atleast,thenative-bredfarmerorhandworkerisnotuncommonly,inessentialqualities,agentleman。
Thegeneralfactisthattheactivitiesoflife,towhichfeelingresponds,havebecomemorevariousandsubtleandlesscrudelydeterminedbyanimalconditions。Materialvarietyandcomfortisonephaseofthis:webecomehabituatedtoacomparativelydelicateexistenceandsoaretrainedtoshuncoarseness。Communication,bvgivingabundanceandchoiceofsocialcontacts,alsoactstodiversifyandrefinesentiment;thegrowthoforderdisaccustomsustoviolence,anddemocracytendstoremovethedegradingspectacleofpersonalorclassoppression。
Thismodernrefinementhastheadvantagethat,beingageneralriseinlevelratherthantheachievementofaclassoranation,itisprobablysecure。Itisnot,liketherefinementofGreece,thesomewhatprecariousfruitoftransientconditions,butapossessionoftherace,innomoredangerofdyingoutthanthesteam-engine。
Tothetrendtowardhumanismandthesentiments梥uchasjustice,truth,kindnessandservice梩hatgowithit,Ishalldevotetherestofthischapterandtheonethatfollows:
Thebasisofallsentimentofthiskindisthesenseofcommunity,orofsharinginacommonsocialorspiritualwhole,membershipinwhichgivestoallakindofinnerequality,nomatterwhattheirspecialpartsmaybe。Itisfelt,however,thatthedifferencesamongmenshouldbe,(181)functionalandintrinsic,notarbitraryoraccidental。Thesenseofjusticeisusuallystrongamongthemembersofasympatheticgroup,thebasisfordeterminingwhatisjustbeingtheperceptionofsomepurposewhicheveryoneistoserve,eachinhisownway,sothathewhorightlyholdsahigherplaceistheonewhocanfunctionbestforthecommongood。
Itdoesnothurtmyself-respectormyallegiancetoremainacommonseamanwhileanotherbecomescaptainoftheship,providedIrecognizethatheisthefittermanfortheplace;andifthedistributionofstationsinsocietywereevidentlyofthissorttherewouldbenoseriousprotestagainstit。Whatmakestroubleisthegrowthofanidealoffairplaywhichtheactualsystemofthingsdoesnotsatisfy。
Thewideningofsympathyandtheconsciousnessoflargerunityhavebroughtthehopeanddemandforacorrespondingextensionofjustice;andallsortsofhumanity梟ottospeakoftheloweranimals梡rofitbythiswidersentiment。Classesseektounderstandeachother;thepersonalityofwomenandchildrenisrecognizedandfostered;thereissomeattempttosympathizewithaliennationsandraces,civilizedorsavage,andtohelpthemtotheirjustplaceinthecommonlifeofmankind。
Ourconceptionofinternationalrightsreflectsthesameview,andtheAmerican,atleast,desiresthathiscountryshouldtreatothercountriesasonejustmantreatsanother,andisproudwhenhecanbelievethatshehasdoneso。Itissurelyofscmesignificancethatinthemostpowerfulofdemocraciesnationalselfishness,inthejudgmentofacompetentEuropeanobserver,(182)islesscynicalandobtrusivethaninanyofthegreatstatesofEurope。[2]
Truthisakindofjustice,andwhereverthereisidentificationofonselfwiththelifeofthegroupitisfostered,andlyingtendstobefeltasmeanandimpolitic。Seriousfalsehoodamongfriendsis,Ibelieve,universallyabhorred梑ysavagesandchildrenaswellasbycivilizedadults。
Tolietoafriendistohithimfrombehind,totriphimupinthedark,andsothemoralsentimentofeverygroupattemptstosuppressfalsehoodamongitsmembers,howeveritmaybeencouragedasagainstoutsiders。“Wherefore,“
saysSt。Paul,“puttingawaylying,speakeverymantruthwithhisneighbor,forwearemembersoneofanother。”[3]
Ourdemocraticsystemaimstobealargerorganizationofmoralunity,andsofarasitisso,inthefeelingoftheindividual,itfostersthisopenanddownrightattitudetowardhisfellows。Inidea,andlargelyinfact,weareacommonwealth,ofwhicheachoneisamemberbyhiswillandintelligence,aswellasbynecessity,andwithwhich,accordingly,thehumansentimentofloyaltyamongthosewhoaremembersoneofanotherisnaturallyinforce。Theverydisgustwithwhich,inamatterlikeassessmentfortaxation,mencontemplatetheincompatibilitythatsometimesexistsbetweentruthandfairness,isatributetotheprevailingsentimentofsincerity。
Anartificialsystem,thatisonewhich,howeversolid,(183)itshiddenfoundations梐ndofcourseallsystemsrestonfactofsomesort梔oesnotvisiblyflowfromprinciplesoftruthandfairness,failstoarousethisloyaltyofpartnership。Onemaybedevotedtoit,buthisdevotionwillbebasedratheronreverenceforsomethingabovehimthanonasenseofparticipation,andwillcallforsubmissionratherthanforstraightforwarddealing。ItwouldseemthatIyingandservilityarenaturalintheattitudeofasubjecttowardamaster,thatistowardasuperiorbutuncomprehendingpower;whiletruthisgeneratedinsympathy。
Tyrannymaybesaidtomakefalsehoodavirtue,andincontemporaryRussia,forinstance,stealthandevasionarethenecessaryandjustifiablemeansofpursuingtheaimsofhumannature。
Anotherreasonfortheassociationoffreedomwithtruthisthattheformerisatraininginthesenseofsocialcauseandeffect;thefreeplayofhumanforcesbeingaconstantdemonstrationofthepowerofrealityasagainstsham。Themoremenexperimentintelligentlywithlife,themoretheycometobelieveindefinitecausationandthelessintrickery。Freedommeanscontinuousexperiment,aconstanttestingoftheindividualandofallkindsofsocialideasandarrangements。Ittends,then,toasocialrealism;“Heropeneyesdesirethetruth。”ThebestpeopleIknowarepervadedbythefeelingthatlifeissorealthatitisnotworthwhiletomakebelieve。“Knightsoftheunshieldedheart,“theydesirenothingsomuchastoescapefromallpretenseandpruderyandconfrontthingsastheyreallyare梒onfidentthattheyarenotirremediablybad。Ireadinacurrentnewspaperthat,(184)“brutal,unvarnished,carelessfranknessistheposeofthenewtypeofgirl。Shehasnotbeendevelopedinaschoolofevasion。Topretendyougaveahundreddollarsforagownwhenyoureallygavefiftyforit,isasorryjestforherandawasteoftime……Ifsheownstothenewgownshetellsyouitscost,thenameoftheinexpensivedressmakerwhomadeit,andjustwheresheeconomizedinitsprice。”
Thereisatributetotruthintheverycynicismandshamelessnesswithwhichflagitiouspoliticiansandfinanciersdeclareanddefendtheirpractices。
LikeNapoleonorMacchiavellitheyhaveatleastcastoffsuperstitionandaredealingwithreality,thoughtheyapprehenditonlyinalowandpartialaspect。Iftheylie,theydosodeliberately,scientifically,withaviewtoproducingacertaineffectuponpeoplewhomtheyregardasfools。
Itonlyneedsthatthisrationalspiritshouldallyitselfwithhighersentimentanddeeperinsightinorderthatitshouldbecomeasourceofvirtue。
Iwillnothereinquireminutelyhowfarorinwhatsensehonestyisthebestpolicy,butitissafetosaythatthemorelifeisorganizeduponabasisoffreedomandjusticethemoretruththereisintheproverb。
Whenthegeneralstateofthingsisanarchical,asinthetimeofMacchiavelli,rationalismmayleadtothecynicaluseoffalsehoodasthetoolsuitedtothematerial;norisitdeniablethatthisisoftenthecaseatthepresentday。Butmoderndemocracyaimstoorganizejustice,andinsofarasitsucceedsitcreatesamediuminwhichtruthtendstosurviveandfalsehoodtoperish。Weallwishto,(185)liveinsuchamedium:thereisnothingmoregratefulthantheconvictionthattheorderofthingsissincere,isfoundedonrealityofsomesort;andinagoodmeasuretheAmerican,forinstance,doeshavethisconviction。Itmakesdemocracyasoftcouchforthesoul:onecanlethimselfgoanddoesnothavetomakebelieve;presenceisnopartofthesystem;beyourrealselfandyouwillfindyourrightplace。“IknowhowthegreatbasementofallpowerIsfrankness,andatruetonguetotheworld;
AndhowintriguingsecrecyisproofOffearandweakness,andahollowstate。”Anartificialsystemmustmaintainitselfbysuppressingthefreeplayofsocialforcesandinculcatingitsownartificialideasinplaceofthosederivedfromexperience。Freeassociation,freespeech,freethinking,insofarastheytouchuponmattersvitaltoauthority,areandalwayshavebeenputdownundersuchsystems,andthismeansthatthewholemindofthepeopleisemasculated,asthemindofItalywasbySpanishruleandreligiousreactionintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies。“Orientalmendacity“isascribedtotheinsecurityoflifeandpropertyunderarbitraryrule;butitisnotmerelylifeandpropertythatareaffected。Theveryideaoftruthandreasoninhumanaffairscanhardlyprevailunderasystemwhichaffordsnoobservationtocorroborateit。Thefactthatindiplomacy,forinstance,thereisagrowingbeliefthatitpaystobesimpleandhonest,Itaketobeareflectionofthefactthattheinternationalsystem,basedmoreandmoreonintelligentpublicopinion,is,(186)graduallycomingtobeamediuminwhichtruthisfittolive。
Perhapssomethingofthishostilitytotruthwilllingerinallestablishments,howevertheymaybehumanized:theyallinvolveakindofvestedinterestincertainideaswhichisnotfavorabletoentirefrankness。Itsometimesappearsthatonewhowouldbequitehonestandstandforhumannatureshouldavoidnotonlyreligious,politicalandeducationalallegiance,butlaw,journalism,andallpositionswhereonehastospeakaspartofaninstitution。
Asarulethegreatseersandthinkershavestoodasmuchasidefrominstitutionsasthenatureofthehumanmindpermits。
Stillanotherreasonforthekeenersenseoftruthinourdayistheneedtoeconomizeattention。Insocietieswherelifeisdull,fiction,circumlocutionandelaborateformsofintercourseserveasasortofpastime;
andthefirstarousesnoresentmentunlesssomedefiniteinjuryisattemptedbyit。AlthoughtheChineseareuprightinkeepingtheirpecuniaryengagements,wearetoldthatmeretruthisnotvaluedbythem,andisnotinculcatedbytheirclassicmoralists。SoinItalythepeopleseemtothinkthatacourteousandencouraginglieiskinderthanthebaretruth,aswhenamanwillpretendtogiveyouinformationwhenheknowsnothingaboutthematter。Astrenuouscivilizationlikeoursmakesoneintolerantofallthis。Itisnotthatwearealwayshurried;butwearesooftenmadetofeelthelimitationsofourattentionthatwedisliketowasteit。Thoughtislife,andwewishtogetthemostrealityforagivenoutlayofitthatistobe,(187)had。WewishtocomeatoncetotheRealThing,whetheritbeabusinesspropositionorthemostsubtletheory。
Anothersentimentfavoredbythetimesissocialcourageandhopefulness,adispositiontopushforwardwithconfidenceregardingthefuturebothoftheindividualandofsocietyatlarge。Thatthisattitudeistheprevalentone,inAmericandemocracyatleast,nearlyallobserversareagreed。“
Letanyone,“saysDr。LymanAbbott,“standononeofourgreathighwaysandwatchthecountenancesofthepassers-by;thelanguagewrittenonmostofthemisthatofeagerness,ambition,expectation,hope。”[4]Thereissomethingruthlessaboutthisheadlongoptimism,whichisapttodenyandneglectfailureanddespair,ascertainreligioussectsofthedaydenyandneglectphysicalinjury;butitanswersitspurposeofsustainingthecombatants。Itspringsfromaconditioninwhichtheindividual,notsupportedinanyoneplacebyarigidsystem,isimpelledfromchildhoodtotrusthimselftothecommoncurrentoflife,tomakeexperiments,toacquireahabitofventureandaworkingknowledgeofsocialforces。Thestateofthingsinstigatesendeavor,and,asarule,rewardsitsufficientlytokeepupone’scourage,whileoccasionalfailureatleasttakesawaythatvaguedreadoftheunknownwhichisoftenworsethanthereality。
Lifeisnaturalandvivid,notthewax-worksofanartificialorder,andhasthatenliveningeffectthatcomesfrombeingthrownbackuponhumannature。Arealpessimism梠newhichdespairsofthegeneraltrend,(188)ofthings梚srareandwithoutmuchinfluence,eventherevolutionarysectsmaintainingthatthechangestheydesireareinthelineofanaturalevolution。Discontentisaffirmativeandconstructiveratherthanstagnant:
itworksoutprogrammesandhopefullyagitatesfortheirrealization。ThereisakindofpietyandtrustinGodtobeseenintheconfidencewithwhichsmallbodiesofmenanticipatethesuccessofprinciplestheybelievetoberight。
Endnotes,Bagehot’sphrase。SeehisPhysicsandPolitics。SeeJamesBryce,TheAmericanCommonwealth,chap。87。Ephesians,iv,25。InShaler’sUnitedStates,ii,594。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter17:TheTrendofSentiment,(continued),CHAPTERXVII,THETRENDOFSENTIMENT——(CONTINUED)
NATUREOFTHESENTIMENTOFBROTHERHOOD——FAVOREDBYCOMMUNICATION
ANDSETTLEDPRINCIPLES——HOWFARCONTEMPORARYLIFEFOSTERSIT——HOWFAR
UNCONGENIALTOIT——GENERALOUTCOMEINTHISREGARD——THESPIRITOFSERVICE——
THETRENDOFMANNERS——BROTHERHOODINRELATIONTOCONFLICT——BLAME——
DEMOCRACYANDCHRISTIANITY
THEsentimentofmutualkindnessorbrotherhoodisasimpleandwidespreadthing,belongingnotonlytomanineverystageofhisdevelopment,butextending,inacrudeform,overagreatpartofanimallife。PrinceKropotkin,inhisMutualAidaFactorinEvolution,hascollectedillustrationsofitsuniversalityandsignificance。“……thenecessityofcommunicatingimpressions,“hesays,“ofplaying,ofchattering,orofsimplyfeelingtheproximityofotherkindredlivingbeingspervadesnature,andis,asmuchasanyotherphysiologicalfunction,adistinctivefeatureoflifeandimpressionability。”[1]Darwinperceived,whatKropotkinandothershaveillustratedwithconvincingfulness,thatthisfusingkindlinessunderliesallhigherphasesofevolution,andisessentialtothecooperativelifeinwhichthoughtandpoweraredeveloped。Thepopularnotionthatkindlysentimentcanonlybeahindrancetothesurvivalofthefittestisasomewhatperniciousmisapprehension。
Thissentimentflourishesmostinprimarygroups,where,aswehaveseen,itcontributestoanidealofmoralunityofwhichkindnessisamainpart。Underitsin,(190)fluencetheI-feelingbecomesawe-feeling,whichseeks,nogoodthatisnotalsothegoodofthegroup。Andthehumanismofourtimestriveswithrenewedenergytomakethewe-feelingprevailalsointhelargerphasesoflife。“Wemustdemand,“saysawriterwholivesveryclosetotheheartofthepeople,[2]“thattheindividualshallbewillingtolosethesenseofpersonalachievement,andshallbecontenttorealizehisactivityonlyinconnectionwiththeactivityofthemany。”Huxleyatonetimefeltthissostronglyastosay,“IfIhad400poundsayearIwouldneverletmynameappeartoanythingIdidorshalldo。’[3]
Suchutterances,thoughsignificant,areone-sided,anditisperhapsmoreinthewayofrealprogresstodemand,notthatthesenseofpersonalachievementshallbegivenup,butthatitshallbemorealliedwithfellow-feeling。
Thesortofambitioncongenialtothewe-feelingisonedirectedtowardthosecommonaimsinwhichthesuccessofoneisthesuccessofall,nottowardadmirationorriches。Materialgoods,onefeels,shouldnotbeappropriatedforprideorluxury,but,beinglimitedinamount,shouldbeusedinaconsciousnessofthegeneralneed,andapportionedbyrulesofjusticeframedtopromoteahigherlifeinthewhole。
Muchmightbesaidofthewe-feelingasjoy:Perchèquantosidicepiulinostro,Tantopossiedepiudibenciascuno,Epiudicaritateardeinquelchiostro。[4]
(191)Forthere,asmuchthemoreasonesaysOur,Somuchthemoreofgoodeachonepossesseth,Andmoreofcharityinthatcloisterburns。[5]Thereisnothingmorewholesomeorlesspursuedbycompunction。Tomingleouremotionswithfellowshipenlargesandsoothesthem;evenresentmentonbehalfofusislessranklingthanonbehalfofonlyme,andthereissomethingcheerfulinsufferingwronginfriendlycompany。Oneofthemostobviousthingsaboutselfishnessistheunhappinessofit,thelackofimaginativeexpatiation,oftheinspirationofworkingconsciouslywithavastwhole,of“theexhilarationandupliftwhichcomewhentheindividualsympathyandintelligenceiscaughtintotheforwardintuitivemovementofthemass。”[6]Fellowshipisthusagoodkindofjoyinthatitisindefinitelydiffusible;thoughbynomeansincapableofabuse,sinceitmaybecultivatedattheexpenseoftruth,sanityandindividuality。
Everythingthattendstobringmankindtogetherinlargerwholesofsympathyandunderstandingtendstoenlargethereachofkindlyfeeling。
Amongtheconditionsthatmostevidentlyhavethiseffectarefacilityofcommunicationandtheacceptanceofcommonprincipies。Thesepermitthecontactandfusionofmindsandtendtomouldthegroupintoamoralwhole。
Intimesofsettledprinciplesandofprogressintheartsofcommunicationtheideaofthebrotherhoodofmanhasanaturalgrowth;asithadundertheRomanEmpire。Ontheotherhand,itisdissipatedbywhateverbreaksup,(192)themoralunityandmakeshumaninterestsseeminconsistent。Notonlywar,butallkindsofdestructiveorunregulatedcompetition,inwhichthegoodofonepartyappearstobeaprivategoodgainedbytheharmofanother,arereflectedinthemindbyunkindlyfeeling。Whathumannatureneedsis梟otthedisappearanceofopposition,whichwouldbedeath梑utthesuppressionofdestructiveforms,andthecontrolofallformsbyprinciplesofjusticeandkindness,sothatmenmayfeelthatthegoodsurvives。
Asregardsthebearingofcontemporaryconditionsuponthespiritofbrotherhood,wefindforcesatworksoconflictingthatitiseasytoreachoppositeconclusions,accordingtothebiasoftheobserver。
Theenlargementofconsciousnesshasbroughtabroadeningofsentimentinalldirections。Asarulekindlyfeelingfollowsunderstanding,andtherewasneversuchopportunityandencouragementtounderstandasthereisnow。Distantpeoples桼ussians,ChineseandSouthSeaIslanders;alienatedclasses梒riminals,vagrants,idiotsandtheinsane,arebroughtclosetous,andthenaturalcuriosityofmanabouthisfellowsisexploitedandstimulatedbythepress。Indeed,thedecriedhabitofreadingthenewspaperscontributesmuchtoageneralwe-feeling,sincethenewspaperisareservoirofcommonplacethoughtofwhicheveryonepartakes梐ndwhichheknowshemayimputetoeveryoneelse梡ervadingtheworldwithaconsciouscommunityofsentimentwhich:tendstowardkindliness。
Evenmorepotent,perhaps,istheindirectactionof,(193)communicationinmakingitpossibletoorganizeallphasesoflifeonalargerscaleandonamorehumanbasis;inpromotingdemocracyandbreakingdowncaste。Undera~democraticsystemthemasseshavemeansofself-expression;theyvote,strike,andprinttheirviews。Theyhavepower,andthis,atbottom,isthesourceofallrespectandconsideration。
Peopleofotherclasseshavetothinkofthem,feelwiththemandrecognizethemasofacommonhumanity。Moreover,intendingtowipeoutconventionaldistinctionsandleaveonlythosethatarefunctional,democracyfostersthenotionofanorganicwhole,fromwhichallderiveandinwhichtheyfindtheirvalue。Asenseofcommonnatureandpurposeisthusnourished,aconsciousunityofactionwhichgivesthesenseoffellowship。Itcomestobeassumedthatmenareofthesamestuff,andakindofuniversalsympathy梟otincompatiblewithopposition梚sspreadabroad。Itisrealizedthat“therearediversitiesofgiftsbutthesamespirit。”
Ontheotherhand,ourlifeisfullofaconfusionwhichoftenleavestheindividualconsciousonlyofhisseparateness,engagedinastrugglewhich,sofarashesees,hasnomorerelationtojusticeandthecommongoodthanadog-fight。Whetherhewinorlosemakes,inthiscase,littledifferenceastotheeffectuponhisgeneralviewoflife:heinfersthattheworldisaplacewhereonemusteithereatorbeeaten;theideaofthebrotherhoodofmanappearstobeanenervatingsentimentalism,andthetruephilosophythatofthestruggleforexistence,whichheunderstandsinabrutalsenseoppositetotherealteachingofscience。Nothingcouldbemoreuncongenialtothewe,(194)feelingthanthisview,whichunfortunateexperiencehaspreparedmanytoembrace,takingfromlife,asitdoes,itsbreadthandhopefulness,thejoyandinspirationofworkinglnavastandfriendlywhole。
Probablymostofusareundertheswayofbothofthesetendencies。Wefeelthenewidealism,thesweepandexhilarationofdemocracy,butwepractice,nevertheless,athriftyexploitationofalltheprivateadvantageswecandecentlylayourhandson;norhavewethemoralvigortoworkoutanyreconciliationoftheseprinciples。Experienceshows,Ithink,thatuntilahighersentiment,likebrotherlykindness,attainssomedefiniteorganizationandprogramme,sothatmenarehelduptoit,itisremarkablyineffectiveincheckingselfishactivities。
Peopledriftonandoninlowercourses,whichatbottomtheydespiseanddislike,simplybecausetheylackenergyandinitiativetogetoutofthem。
Howtrueitisthatmanyofuswouldliketobemadetobebetterthanweare。Ihaveseenpromisingidealistsgrownarrow,greedyandsensual梐ndofcourseunhappy梐stheyprosperedintheworld;fornoreason,apparently,butlackofdefinitestimulationtoahigherlife。Thereisfirmgroundfortheopinionthathumannatureispreparedforahigherorganizationthanwehaveworkedout。