Instrivingtomeetnewrequirementsourschoolshavetoocommonlyextendedtheirsystemratherthantheirvitalenergies;theyhaveperhapsgrownmorerapidlyinthenumberofstudents,thevarietyofsubjectstaught,andinothernumerableparticulars,thanintheinnerandspirituallife,theideals,thetraditionsandthepersonneloftheteachingforce。Inthisasinotherexpandinginstitutionslifeisspreadoutratherthin。
Inthecountrytheschoolsarelargelyinefficientbecauseofthefallingoffinattendance,thepoorpayandqualityoftheteachers,andthepersistenceofasystemofinstructionthatlacksvitalrelationtocountrylife,tendinginfacttodiscredititandturnchildrentowardthetowns。Incitiestheschoolsareovercrowded梠fteninsufficienteventocontainthechildrenwhoswarminthepoorerdistricts?andtheteachersoftenconfused,overworkedandstupefiedbyroutine。Verylittle,asyet,isdonetosupplythatrationaltrainingforindustrywhichistheurgentneedofmostchildren,andwhichindustryitselfnolongerfurnishes。Thediscipline,bothofpupilsbyteachersandofteachersbyofficials,iscommonlyofamechanicalsort,andpromisinginnovationsoftenfailbecausetheyarebadlycarriedoutOurcommonschoolsnodoubtcomparewellenough,onthewhole,withthoseofthepastorofothercountries;butwhenwethinkofwhattheymightandshoulddointhewayofbringingorderandreasonintooursociety,388andofthelifethatisgoingtowastebecausetheydonotnourishandguideit,thereisnocauseforcongratulation。
Inourhighereducationthereisasomewhatsimilarmixtureofnewmaterials,imperfectlyintegrated,withfragmentsofadecadentsystem。Theoldclassicaldisciplineisplainlygoing,andperhapsitisbestthatitshouldgo,butsurelynothingsatisfactoryhasarisentotakeitsplaceAmongthemanythingsthatmightbesaidinthisconnectionIwilltouchupononlyoneconsideration,generallyoverlooked,namelythevalueofacommontypeofculture,correspondinginthisrespecttowhatusedtobeknownas“theeducationofagentleman。”Sincethedecayoftheclassicaltypesetinourhighereducation,notwithstandingsomuchthatisexcellentinit,hashadpracticallynocommoncontenttoserveasamediumofcommunicationandspiritualunityamongtheeducatedclass。
Inthisconnectionasinsomanyothersthequestionariseswhetherevenaninadequatetypeofcultureisnotbetterthannotypeatall。
Notonlywastheclassicaltraditionthewidestandfullestcurrentofhigherthoughtwehad,butitwasalsoatreasuryofsymbolsandassociationstendingtobuildupacommonideallife。BeginningwithDanteallimaginativemodernliteratureappealstothemindthroughclassicalallusionandreverberation,which,minglingwithnewerelements,wenttomakeupacontinuingbodyofhigherfeelingandidea,uponwhichwasnourishedacontinuingfellowshipofthosecompetenttoreceiveandtransmitit。
Allthatwasbestinproductioncameoutofitandwasunconsciouslydisciplinedbyitsstandards。
Itwouldindeedbestupidtoimaginethatanyassort-
389-mentofspecialtiescantaketheplaceoftheculturestreamfromwhichallcivilizationhasbeenwatered:tolosethatwouldbebarbarism。And,infact,itisaquestionwhetherwearenot!insomedegreeandnodoubttemporarily,actuallyrelapsingintoakindofbarbarismthroughthesuddendecayofaculturetypeimperfectlysuitedtoourusebutmuchbetterthannone。
Ifonehasanassemblyofuniversitygraduatesbeforehim,what,inthewayoflike-mindedness,canhecountontheirhaving?CertainlynotLatin,muchlessGreek;hewouldberashindeedtoventureaquotationinthesetongues,unlessformystification:norwouldallusionstohistoryorliteraturebemuchsafer。Thetruthisthatfewofthegraduateswillhavedoneseriousworkoutsideoftheirspecialty;andthemainthingtheyhaveincommonisacollectivespiritanimatedbytherecollectionoffootballvictoriesandthelike。
Isuspectthatwemaybeparticipatingintheriseofanewtypeofculturewhichshallreviseratherthanabandontheoldtraditions,andwhosecentralcurrentwillperhapsbealargestudyoftheprinciplesofhumanlifeandoftheirexpressioninhistory,art,philanthropyandreligion。Andthebeliefthatthenewdisciplineofsociologymuchclarifiedandfreedfromwhatevercrudenessandpretensionmaynowimpairitistohaveapartinthismaynotbeentirelyamatterofspecialpredilection。
Notverylongsinceacritic,wroteofcontemporaryartasfollows:
“Everyonewhoisacquaintedwithtechnicalmattersinthefineartsisawarethatthequietlyperfectartofoilpaintingisextinctor,390nearlyso,andthatinitsplacewehaveagreatvarietyofextremelycleveranddexteroussubstitutes,resultinginskillfulpartialexpressionsofartisticbeauty,butnotreachingthatcalmdivineharmonyofaimandmethodwhichwefindinTitianandGiorgione,andeveninsuchworkasthatofVelasquez。Thegreatestpaintingofpasttimeshadonequalitywhichnomodernonereallypossesses梚thadtranquillity。”[2]
Thistouchesuponsomethingwhich梐swehavealreadyhadoccasiontoobserve梚mpairsnearlyallinthewayofhigherspiritualachievementthatourtimeproduces梐certainbreathlessnessandlackofassuredandquietpower。Andthisisconnectedwiththatconfusionwhichdoesnotpermittheunquestionedascendancyofanyonetype,butkeepstheartistchoosingandexperimenting,intheefforttomakeawholewhichtraditiondoesnotsupplyready-made。
Intimesofauthoritativetraditionatypeofartgrowsupbyaccretion,richandpregnantafteritskind,whicheachartistunconsciouslyinheritsandeasilyexpresses。Hisforerunnershavedonetheheavywork,andallthatheneedstodoistoaddtheglamourofpersonalgenius。Thegrandeurofgreatliterature條iketheBible,orHomer,oreven,thoughlessobviously,Dante,ShakespeareandGoethe梚slargelythatoftraditionalaccumulationandconcentration。Thematterisold;ithasbeenworkedoverandoverandtheunessentialsqueezedout,leavingapregnantremainderwhichtheartistenlivenswithcreativeimagination。Andthesameistrueofpaintingandsculpture。
Soinarchitecture:amediaevalcathedralwastheculminationofalongsocialgrowth,notgreatlydependentupon,391individualgenius。“Notonlyistherebuiltintoit,“saysMr。FergusoninhisHistoryofModernArchitecture,“theaccumulatedthoughtofallthemenwhohadoccupiedthemselveswithbuildingduringtheprecedingcenturies……butyouhavethedreamandaspirationofthebishop,whodesignedit,ofallhisclergy,whotookaninterestinit,ofthemaster-mason,whowasskilledinconstruction;ofthecarver,thepainter,theglazier,ofthehostofmenwho,eachinhisowncraft,knewallthathadbeendonebeforethem,andhadspenttheirlivesinstrugglingtosurpasstheworkoftheirforefathers……Youmaywanderinsuchabuildingforweeksorformonthstogetherandneverknowitall。Athoughtoramotivepeepsoutthrougheveryjoint,andismanifestineverymoulding,andtheverystonesspeaktoyouwithavoiceasclearandaseasilyunderstoodasthewordsofthepoetortheteachingofthehistorian。Hence,infact,thelittleinterestwecanfeelineventhestateliestofmodernbuildings,andtheundying,neversatisfiedinterestwithwhichwestudyoverandoveragainthosewhichhavebeenproducedunderadifferentandtruersystemofart。”[3]
InthesamewaytheGreekarchitectofthetimeofPericles“hadbeforehimafixedandsacredstandardofform……Hehadnochoice;
hisstrengthwasnotwastedamongvariousideals;thatwhichhehadinheritedNomsareligiontohim……Undivertedbysideissuesastothegeneralformofhismonument,undisturbedbyanyofthecomplicatedconditionsofmodernlife,hewasabletoconcentratehisclearintellectupontheperfectionofhisdetails;hissensitivenesstoharmonyofproportionwas,392refinedtothelastlimits:hisfeelingforpurityoflinereachedthepointofareligion。”[4]
ThemodernartistmayhaveasmuchpersonalabilityastheGreekorthemediaeval’but’havingnocommunaltraditiontoshareinhiswork,hehastospreadhispersonalityoutverythintocoverthetoobroadtaskassignedtoit,andthisthinnessbecomesthegeneralfaultofcontemporaryaestheticproduction。Ifheseekstoavoiditbydeterminedconcentrationthereisapttobesomethingstrainedandover-consciousintheresult。
Endnotes,ThisillustrationisusedbyMissJaneAddams。PhilipGilbertHamerton,ThoughtsaboutArt,page99。Page24。VanBrunt,GreekLines,95ff。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter34:TheFunctionofPublicWill,CHAPTERXXXIV
THEFUNCTIONOFPUBLICWILL,PUBLICANDPRIVATEWILL——THELACKOFPUBLICWILL——SOCIAL
WRONGSCOMMONLYNOTWILLATALL
WHATIshallsayaboutPublicWill梬hichisonlyanotherphaseoftheDemocraticMind梞ightwellhavebeenintroducedunderPartIII;butIputitherebecauseinasenseitroundsoffourwholeinquiry,involvingsomegeneralconclusionsastothemethodandpossibilityofsocialbetterment。
Bypublicwillwemayunderstandthedeliberateselfdirectionofanysocialgroup。Thereis,ofcourse,nothingmysteriousaboutit,foritisofthesamenatureaspublicopinion,andissimplythatsoinformedandorganizedastobeaneffectiveguidetothelifeofthegroup。Norcanwesayjustwhenthisstateisreached梚tisamatterofdegree梑utwemayassumethatwhenagroupintelligentlypursuesasteadfastpolicysomemeasure,atleast,ofpublicwillhasbeenachieved。Manysavagetribeshaveitinasmallway;theJewsdevelopeditundertheleadershipofMosesandJoshua;themediaevalchurchandtheVenetianaristocracydisplayedit。Itiscapable,likeindividualwill,ofindefiniteimprovementininsight,stabilityandscope。
Justaspublicandprivateopinionaregeneraland,396particularphasesofthesamething,sowillisasinglecomplexactivitywithindividualandcollectiveaspects。Butthereisthisdifferencebetweenpublicandprivatewill梛ustasthereisbetweenotherindividualandcollectivephasesofmind梩hattheactivityusuallyappearsle~sconsciouswhenlookedatinitslargeraspectthanwhenconsideredindetail。Imeanthatwegenerallyknowagreatdealbetterwhatweareaboutasindividualsthanwedoasmembersoflargewholes:whenonesitsdowntodinnerheisconsciousofhungerandhasawilltoappeaseit;
butifhisactionhasanybearinguponthecommunity,asnodoubtithas,heisunawareofthefact。Inthesamewaytheactivitiesofbusinesshavemuchconsciousnessandpurposewhenlookedatindetail,butlittlewhentakencollectively。Athousandmenbuyandsellinthemarket,eachwithaverydefiniteintentionregardinghisowntransaction,butthemarketpricewhichresultsfromtheirbargainingisanalmostmechanicaloutcome,notamatterofconsciousintentionatall。Ontheotherhand,thereareconsciouswholesinwhichthegeneralresultmaybeasclearlypurposedastheparticular;aswhenanintelligentcrewisworkingavessel,eachattendingtohisownworkbutunderstandingperfectlywhatthegeneralpurposeisandhowheiscontributingtoit。
Soifwerestrictthewordwilltothatwhichshowsreflectiveconsciousnessandpurposethereisasenseinwhichacertainchoiceasofthepurchaserinthemarketmayexpressindividualwillbutnotpublicwill:thereisapublicsidetoit,ofcourse,butofaninvoluntarysort。
Wemustremember,also,thatalthoughlargewholesare,asarule,muchinferiortoindividualsinexplicitcon-
397-sciousnessandpurpose,theyarecapableofrationalstructureandactionofasomewhatmechanicalsortfartranscendingthatoftheindividualmind。Thisisbecauseofthevastscopeandindefinitedurationtheymayhave,whichenablesthemtostoreupandsystematizetheworkofinnumerablepersons,asanationdoes,orevenanindustrialcorporation。Alargewholemayandusuallydoesdisplayinitsactivityakindofrationalityoradaptationofmeanstoendswhich,asawhole,wasneverplannedorpurposedbyanybody,butistheinvoluntaryresultofinnumerablespecialendeavors。ThustheBritishcolonialempire,whichlooksliketheresultofdeliberateandfarsightedpolicy,isconcededtohavebeen,forthemostpart,theunforeseenoutcomeofpersonalenterprise。
Aninstitution,aswehaveseeninpreviouschapters,isnotfullyhuman,butmay,nevertheless,besuperhuman,inthesensethatitmayexpressawisdombeyondthegraspofanyoneman。Andeveninamoralaspectitisbynomeanssafetoassumethatthepersonalissuperiortothecollective。
Thismayormaynotbethecase,depending,amongotherthings,uponwhethertherehasbeenapastgrowthofcollectivemoraljudgmentuponthepointinquestion。Thecivillaw,forexample,whichistheresultofsuchagrowth,isforthemostpartamuchsaferguideregardingpropertyrightsthantheuntrainedjudgmentofanyindividual。
Butafterallpublicthoughtandwillhavethesamesuperiorityoverunconsciousadaptationwonderfulastheresultsofthatoftenare
asprivatethoughtandwillhaveovermereinstinctandhabit。Theyrepresentahigherprincipleofcoordinationandadaptation,onewhich,398properlyemployed,savesenergyandpreventsmistakes。
TheBritishmayhavesucceededoninstinct,butprobablytheywouldhavesucceededbetterifmorereasonhadbeenmixedwithit;andthelattermaysavethemfromthedecaywhichhasattackedothergreatempires。
Itisquiteplainthatthesocialdevelopmentofthepasthasbeenmostlyblindandwithouthumanintention。
Anypageofhistorywillshowthatmenhavebeenunabletoforesee,muchlesstocontrol,thelargermovementsoflife。Therehavebeenseers,buttheyhavehadonlyflashesoflight,andhavealmostneverbeenmenofimmediatesway。Evengreatstatesmenhavelivedinthepresent,feelingtheirway,andhavingcommonlynopurposebeyondtheaggrandizementoftheircountryortheirorder。SuchpartialexceptionsastheframingoftheAmericanconstitutionbythelightofhistoryandphilosophy,andwithsomeprevisionofitsactualworking,areconfinedtorecenttimesandexciteaspecialwonder。
Inparticularthedemocraticmovementofmoderntimeshasbeenchieflyunconscious。AsDeTocquevillesaysofitscourseinFrance,“……ithasalwaysadvancedwithoutguidance。Theheadsofthestatehavemadenopreparationforit,andithasadvancedwithouttheirconsentorwithouttheirknowledge。Themostpowerful,themostintelligentandthemostmoralclassesofthenationhaveneverattempted……toguideit。”[1]
Willhasbeenaliveonlyindetails,inthesmallercoursesoflife,inwhateachmanwasdoingforhimselfandhisneighbors,whilethelargerstructureandmovement,399havebeensubconscious,andforthatreasonerraticandwasteful。Foritisjustastrueoflargewholesasofindividualsthatiftheyblunderonwithoutknowingwhattheyaredoingmuchoftheirenergyislost。Nodoubtitisbettertogoaheadevenblindlythantostandstill,andremarkablethingshavebeenachievedinthisway,buttheyarelittletowhatmightbedoneifwecouldworkoutourhighesthumannatureintelligently,withassuranceandprevision,andonalargescale。Asocietywhichdidthiswouldhavethesamesortofsuperioritytopresentsocietyasmantohissub-humanprogenitors。
TheveryideaofProgress,oforderlyimprovementonagreatscale,iswellknowntobeofrecentorigin,oratleastrecentdiffusion,theprevalentviewinthepasthavingbeenthattheactualstateofthingswas,initsgeneralcharacter,unalterable。[2]
Evenatthepresentdaysocialphenomenaofalargesortareforthemostpartnotwilledatall,butaretheunforeseenresultofdiverseandpartialendeavors。Itisseldomthatanylargeplanofsocialactionisintelligentlydrawnupandfollowedout。Eachinterestworksalonginasomewhatblindandselfishmanner,grasping,fightingandgroping。
Asregardsgeneralendsmostoftheenergyiswasted;andyetasortofadvancetakesplace,morelikethesurgingofathrongthantheorderlymovementoftroops。WhocanpretendthattheAmericanpeople,forinstance,areguidedbyanyclearandrationalplanintheireconomic,politicalandreligiousdevelopment?They,400haveglimpsesandimpulses,buthardlyawill,exceptonafewmattersofnearandurgentinterest。
Inthesamewaythewrongsthatafflictsocietyareseldomwilledbyanyoneoranygroup,butareby-productsofactsofwillhavingotherobjects;theyaredone,assomeonehassaid,ratherwiththeelbowsthanthefists。Thereissurprisinglylittleill-intent,andthemoreonelooksintolifethelesshefindsofthatvividchiaroscuroofconsciousgoodnessandbadnesshischildishteachinghasledhimtoexpect。
Take,forinstance,aconspicuousevillikethesweatingsysteminthegarmenttradesofNewYorkorLondon。Herearepeople,largelywomenandchildren,forcedtoworktwelve,fourteen,sometimessixteenhoursaday,inthemidstofdirt,badairandcontagion,sufferingthedestructionofhomelifeanddecentnurture;andallforawagehardlysufficienttobuythebarenecessitiesoflife。Butifocelooksforsindarkenoughtocastsuchashadowhewillscarcelyfindit。“Neitherhaththismansinnednorhisparents。”The“sweater“orimmediateemployer,towhomhefirstturns,iscommonlyhimselfaworkman,notmuchraisedabovetherestandmakingbutlittleprofitonhistransactions。Beyondhimisthelargedealer,usuallyawell-intentionedman,quitewillingthatthingsshouldbebetteriftheycanbemadesowithouttoomuchtroubleorpecuniarylosstohimself。Heisonlydoingwhatothersdoandwhat,inhisview,theconditionsoftraderequire。Andsoon;thecloseronegetstothefactsthemoreevidentitisthatnowhereistheindubitablewickednessourfeelingshavepictured。Itisquitethe,401samewithpoliticalcorruptionandthevenalalliancebetweenwealthandpartymanagement。Themenwhocontrolwealthyinterestsareprobablynoworseintentionedthantherestofus;theyonlydowhattheythinktheyarcforcedtodoinordertoholdtheirown;andsowiththepolitician:hefindsthatothersaresellingtheirpower,andeasilycomestothinkofitasamatterofcourse。Intruththeconsciously,flagrantlywickedmanis,andperhapsalwayshasbeen,afiction,forthemostpart,ofdenunciation。Thepsychologistwillhardlyfindhim,butwillfeelthatmostsortsofbadnessareeasilyenoughcomprehensible,andwillperhapsagreewiththeviewascribedtoGoethe,thatheneverheardofacrimewhichhemightnothimselfhavecommitted。
Naturallythemoremechanicalthesystemisthelessofwillandoflivehumannaturethereisinitsacts。SoinRussia,saysTolstoy,“Somemakethelaws,othersexecutethem;sometrainmenbydisciplinetoautocraticobedience;andtheselast,intheirturn,becometheinstrumentsofcoercion,andslaytheirkindwithoutknowingwhyortowhatend。”[3]Inourreadingandthinkingdemocracythereisatleastthefeelingthattheworkingofthewholeoughttobethefulfilmentofsomehumanepurpose,andacontinualprotestthatthisisnotmorethecase。
Icannotholdoutaprospectoftheearlyappearanceofanadequatepublicwill;itisamatterofgradualimprovement,butitseemsclearthatthereisatrendthisway,based,mechanically,onrecentadvancesincommunication,and,asregardstraining,onthemultiformdisciplinesinvoluntarycooperationwhichmodernlifeaffords。
Endnotes,DemocracyinAmerica,vol。i,Introduction。OfcoursetheGreekshadthephilosophicalconceptionofgeneralflux,butIdonotknowthattheyappliedittosocietywithsuchdistinctnessastogiveanythingworthcallinganideaofprogress。MyReligion,45。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter35:GovernmentasPublicWill,CHAPTERXXXV,GOVERNMENTASPUBLICWILL
GOVERNMENTNOTTHEONLYAGENTOFPUBLICWILL——THERELATIVE
POINTOFVIEW;ADVANTAGESOFGOVERNMENTASANAGENT——MECHANICALTENDENCY
OFGOVERNMENT——CHARACTERISTICSFAVORABLETOGOVERNMENTACTIVITY——MUNICIPAL
SOCIALISM——SELF-EXPRESSIONTHEFUNDAMENTALDEMANDOFTHEPEOPLE——ACTUAL
EXTENSIONOFSTATEFUNCTIONS
INthegrowthofpublicwillanyagencyamenabletopublicopinionmayserveasaninstrument;andthismeans,ofcourse,anysortofrationalactivity,personalaswellasinstitutional。Thustheworkofasecludedscientist,likePasteurorEdison,takentogetherwiththegeneralacceptanceandapplicationofhisresults,isasmuchanactofpublicwillastheproceedingsofalegislature,andoftenmore梑ecausetheymayshowamorepublicspiritandawiderknowledgeandforesight。
Whatisnecessaryisthatsomewherethereshallbeeffectualpurposeandendeavorbasedonalargegraspofthesituation。Inshort,publicwillissimplyamatterofthemoreefficientorganizationofthegeneralmind:
whateverinthewayofleadershipormechanismcontributestothelatterhasashareinit;andwemaynaturallyexpectittoprogressratherbythequickeningandcoordinationofmanyagenciesthanbytheaggrandizementofanyparticularone。[1]
Theviewwhichmanyholdthatpublicwillmustbechieflyifnotwhollyidentifiedwiththeinstitutionofgov-
403-ernmentisajustoneonlyinacertainnarrowsense。
Thatistosay,themechanismofgovernmentisindeedthemostdefiniteandauthoritativeexpressionofpublicchoice,andifpublicwillistobelimitedtowhatisdecidedbyacountofvoicesandcarriedout,ifnecessary,byforge,thenthegovernmentisitsonlyagent。Butonlyasmallpartofthewillofsocietyisofthissort。Inalargersenseitisadiversifiedwhole,embracingthethoughtandpurposeofallinstitutionsandassociations,formalandinformal,thathaveanybreadthofaim,andeven,asIhavesaid,ofsecludedindividuals。Surelythetruewillofhumanityneverhasbeenandisnotlikelytobeconcentratedinasingleagent,butworksitselfoutthroughmanyinstruments,andtheunityweneedissomethingmuchmoreintricateandflexiblethancouldbesecuredthroughthestatealone。Likeotherphasesoforganization,governmentismerelyonewayofdoingthings,fittedbyitscharacterfordoingsomethingsandunfittedfordoingothers。
Astowhatthesethingsare,wemust,ofcourse,taketherelativepointofviewandholdthatthesphereofgovernmentoperationsisnot,andshouldnotbe,fixed,butvarieswiththesocialconditionatlarge。Hard-and-fasttheoriesofwhatthestatemaybestbeanddo,whetherrestrictiveorexpansive,wemaywellregardwithdistrust。Itisbynomeansimpossiblethatthewholecharacterofthepoliticalstateandofitsrelationtotherestoflifeisundergoingchangeofanunforeseeablekindwhichwilleventuallymakeourpresentdogmasonthispointquiteobsolete。
Themostevidentadvantageofgovernmentasasocial,404instrument梩hatwhichmakesitthelogicalrecourseofthosewhoseekashortwaytoregeneration梚sitspowerandreach。Itisthestrongestandmostextensiveofourinstitutions,withelaboratemachineryreadytoundertakealmostanything,andposerlimited,inthelongrun,onlybypublicopinion。
Moreover,underademocraticsystem,itisdefinitelyresponsibletothepeople。Notthatitalwaysservesthem:weknowtoowellhowaptitistorespectparticularratherthangeneralinterests:
butthereisalwaysadefinitemeansofbringingitintolinewithpublicthought,alwaysreinswhichthepeoplemaygraspiftheywill。Thishasthemomentouseffectthatthereislessjealousyofademocraticgovernment,otherthingsequal,thanofanyotherformofpower。Feelingthatitispotentiallyatleasttheirown,thepeoplewillendurefromitwithpatienceabusesthatwouldbeintolerablefromanyothersource。Themaddeningthingabouttheoppressionofprivatemonopoliesisthepersonalsubjection,thehumiliationofbeingunabletoassertoneself,whileinpubliclifethefreecitizenhasalwaysawayofregularanddignifiedprotest。Heappealsnottoanalienbuttoalargerself。
Themostgeneraldefectofgovernmentisthatwhichgoeswithitsgoodqualities。Justbecauseitisthemostancientandelaboratemachinewehave,itisapttobetoomechanical,toorigid,toocostlyandunhuman。Asthemostinstitutionalofinstitutionsithasacertaintendencytowardformalism,andisobjectionableongroundsofred-tape,lackofeconomyandremotenessfromthefresherneedsofthepeople。
405Itiseasy,however,foroneimpressedwiththisideatobetooindiscriminateinitsapplication。Muchdependsuponthekindofgovernmentactuallyinquestion,upontheinterestthepeopletakeinit,andmanyotherconditions。
IntheUnitedStates,forinstance,eachofuslivesunderthreesomewhatdistinctkindsofgovernment?federal,stateandlocal梕achofwhichhasalargemeasureofpracticalindependenceoftheothers,andmaybetreatedasaseparateagentofpublicwill。Moreover,itisoftenthecasethatthelargersystems梥aythefederalpost-office梐llowagreatdealoflocalautonomyintheiradministration,makingitflexibletolocalopinion。
Underthissystem,atownship,villageorsmallcityisnounwieldymachine,butprettymuchwhatthepeopleseefittomakeit,andthefactthatitisaphaseofgovernmentisnosufficientreasonwhyanyaffairsitmaychoosetoundertakemaynotbeashumanlyandflexiblyadministeredasthoseofanon-politicalassociationofequalextent。Theyoftenaresoadministered,andthesameistrueofgreatcitieswhereveravigorouscivicconsciousnessexistsandhashadtimetoworkoutitsinstruments。Thequestionisonlyoneoforganization,andthisconfrontsnon-politicalassociationsaswellaspolitical;largeprivateincorporationshavingnotoriouslyaboutthesameexperienceofformalism,extravaganceandmalfeasanceasthestate。
Therearecertaincharacteristicswhosepresenceinagivenfunctionisfavorabletostateactivity,thoughtheycannotbesaidtoindicateclearlywhereitshouldbeginorend。
406
Oneofthese,naturally,istheinadequacyorharmfulnessofotheragencies。Thefactthataworkisdeemednecessaryandthatthereisnootheradequatewayofdoingistherealbasisofmoststatefunctions;
notonlytheprimaryonesofwagingwarandkeepingorder,butofissuingmoney,buildingroads,bridgesandharbors,collectingstatistics,institutingfreeschools,controllingmonopoliesandsoon。
Anotheristhattheworkinquestionshouldbesusceptibleofcomparativelysimpleanduniformmethodssincethemorevariousandintricateafunctionis,themoredifficultywillbefoundingettingitproperlydonebythepowerfulbutusuallysomewhatclumsymechanismothestate。Thereasonsthatmayjustifyastatepostortelegraph,forinstance,donotnecessarilysufficefortheassumptionofthefarmorecomplicatedbusinessoftherailways。
Again,whateverthestateundertakesshouldbesomethinglikelytobewatchedbypublicopinion;notnecessarilybythewholepublic,butatleastbysomepowerfulgroupsteadfastlyinterestedinefficiencyandcapableofjudgingwhetheritisattained。IntheUnitedStates,certainlythesuccessesorfailuresofgovernmentarelargelyexplicableonthisground。Publiceducationworkswellinspiteofaconstantleaningtowardformalism,becausethepeopletakeacloseandjealousinterestinit,whilethemonetaryandfinancialfunctionsareinlikemannersafeguardedbythescrutinyofthecommercialworld。Butiithematteroftariffsthescrutinyofthelatter,inadequatelybalancedbythatofanyotherinterest,hasproducedwhatispracticallyclasslegislation;andsome-
407-thingsimilarmaybesaidofmanyphasesofgovernmentaction。[2]
Fromsuchconsiderationsitseemsthatlocalgovernment,becauseitisonasmallscaleandbecausethepeoplewillpresumablybemoreableandwillingtowatchthedetailsofitsoperation,shouldbethesphereinwhichextensionoffunctionshasthemostchanceofsuccess。
Themorethecitizenfeelsthatgovernmentisclosetohimandamenabletohiswill,themore,otherthingsequal,heshouldbeinclinedtotrustitandtoputhimselfintoit。Inspiteofmuchdisappointingexperience,itseemsreasonabletoexpectthatsmallunits,dealingwiththeevery-dayinterestsofthepeople,will,inthelongrun,enlistanampleshareoftheircapacityandintegrity。
Andyetthenearnessofthewholetothewillofthememberispsychical,notspatial,sothatifthecitizenforsomereasonfeelsclosertothecentralgovernmentandtrustsitmore,hemaybemorewillingtoaggrandizeit。IntheUnitedStatesthepeopleoftenhavemoreinterestandconfidenceinthefederalsystemthanintheirparticularstatesandcities;onereasonbeingthattheconstantenlargementofprivateorganization梐sinthecaseofrailwaysandtheso-calledtrusts梡utsitbeyondthepoweroflocalcontrol。Ofcoursethereisanaturalsphereofdevelopmentforeachofthevariousphasesofgovernment。
Municipalsocialismhasthegreatadvantageoverothersortsofstateextensionofbeingoptionalbysmallunits,andofpermittingallsortsofdiversity,experimentand,408comparison。Thereisnothinginitofthatdeadeninguniformityandobliterationofalternativesinvolvedintheblanketsocialismofthecentralstate。Theevilswesufferfromprivatemonopolies梐gainstwhichwemayalwaysinvokethestateifnotothercompetitors梐reasnothingcomparedwiththosetobefearedfromanall-embracingstate-monopoly;
andIfeelsurethatcommon-sense,ashrewdattachmenttotheprincipleof“checksandbalances,“andthespiritoflocalindividualitywillpreservetheEnglish-speakingnations,atleast,fromseriousdangerofthelatter。
IncountrieslikeFrance,wherethereisagreattraditionalpreponderanceofthecentralauthority,itmaybeamongthepossibilities,thoughtheprobabledeclineofwar梩hemaincauseofmechanicalconsolidation梥houldworkintheoppositedirection。
Therearefewthingsthatwouldbemoresalutarytothelifeofourpeoplethanalivelyandeffectivecivicconsciousnessintowns,villagesandruralcommunities。Itrustthisisgrowingandfeelnodreadofanysocialismwhichitmayprovetoinvolve。OneofthebestthingsIhaveknownAnnArbortodowastoholdapublic-schoolcarnivalontheoccasionoftheopeningofanewhighschool。Therewereallsortsofperformancesbythechildren,largelyoftheirowndevising,andthepeoplewereinterestedandbroughttogetherasnever,perhaps,before。Itwascommunal,itwasours,andthesocialspirititevokedwasacommonjoy。Enterprisesofthesamenatureonalargerandmorepermanentscale,suchastherecreationcentresofChicago,arebeginningtoariseinvariouspartsofthecountry。
Itseemsprobablethattheplaincitizenmustlooklargely,409tothecommunallifetosupplythatchanceforself-expressionwhichtownresidenceandthespecializednatureofmodernindustryhavesolargelyrestricted。Urbanlifeisinevitable,andinsteadofregrettingthecountrythecity-dwellershadbettermakethemostofthenewsituation,throughplaygrounds,publicamusements,socializedschools,recreationcentres,and,ingeneral,amorevitalandhumancivicorganization。[3]
Thefundamentalneedofmenisforself-expression,formakingtheirwillfeltinwhatevertheyfeeltobeclosetotheirhearts;andtheywillusethestateinsofarandinsuchamannerastheyfindithelpfulingratifyingthisneed。
Themoreself-expression,therefore,thereisinotherspheresoflife,thelessneed,relatively,peoplewillfeelofactingthroughgovernment梐principlewhichshouldremindthosewhodreadthegrowthofthelatterthattheonlysurewaytorestrictitisbydevelopingareal,affirmativefreedominotherrelations。Politicaldemocracyplussocialandeconomicoppressionisprettysuretoequalstatesocialism,becausemenwilllooktopoliticalcontrolasarefuge。Butifgeneralconditionsarefreeandopen,menwillbethemoresensible,bycontrast,oftheunfreeaspectsofstateactivity。
Alackofeconomyingovernmentwillnotmuchcheckitsaggrandizementiftheneedofitisstronglyfeltonothergrounds,sincehumannature,onthewhole,caresverylittleforeconomyincomparisonwithfreedomandjustice。Onewillmorewillinglypayawater-taxoftwenty,410dollarstoacitygovernmentinwhichhehasavoicethanoftentoanalienandoverbearingcorporation。
Inourdaythereisatendencytowardextensionofstatefunctionswhichafterallisperhapsnomorethansymmetricalinviewofthegeneralexpansionoflargerstructuresineverysphere。Itdoesnotseemtooutstripthegrowth,forinstance,ofprivatecorporations,orlaborunions,orofindividualwealth。Itiseasytoseeatendencytostatesocialismifyoulookonlyatthenewfunctionsofthestate;easytoseeanoppositetendencyifyoufixyourattentiononprivateorganization。
Whetherornotthestateisrelativelyincreasingitssphereisnoteasytodecide。Thenewconditionsoflifebringmenclosertogether,creatingageneralneedofwiderorganization;and,sofarasnowappears,thisneedistobemetbythesimultaneousdevelopmentofvariousstructuresalreadywellbegun;suchaspopulargovernmentandeducation,privateindustrialandcommercialcorporations,laborunions,mutual-aidsocieties,philanthropicalassociations,andsoon。
Thespecialdemandforstateextensionseemstospringchieflyfromtwoconditions:theneedtocontroltheexorbitantpowerofprivateeconomicassociations,andtheneedofmeetingnovelproblemsarisingfromlifeingreatcities。Intheseandsimilardirectionsanintelligentandpracticeddemocracywillproceedtentatively,“withthefirmfootbelow,“
alwaysbalancingthelossagainstthegain。Experimentsinpoliticalsocialismaresuretobetried,whichwillproveinstructiveandperhapsbeneficial。
Howfartheywillbecarriednomancansay,butIseenospecialreasontofearthattheywillgotoanyperniciousextreme。
Endnotes,IfthereaderisnotelearastowhatImeanbypublicwill,Ibegtorefer。himtochaptersI,XIIandXXXIV。TheseprinciplesaremuchthesameasthoseputforthbyW。S。Jevons。SeehisMethodsofSocialReform,355。CompareSimonN。Patten,TheNewBasisofCivilization,124。,CharlesHortonCooley:SocialOrganization:Chapter36:SomePhasesoftheLarger,Will,CHAPTERXXXVI
SOMEPHASESOFTHELARGERWILL,GROWINGEFFICIENCYOFTHEINTELLECTUAL
PROCESSES——ORGANICIDEALISM——THELARGERMORALITY——INDIRECTSERVICE——
INCREASINGSIMPLICITYANDFLEXIBILITYINSOCIALSTRUCTURE——PUBLIC
WILLSAVESPARTOFTHECOSTOFCHANGE——HUMANNATURETHEGUIDINGFORCE
BEHINDPUBLICWILL。
THEmainsourceofamoreeffectivepublicwillistobesoughtnot,peculiarly,inthegreateractivityofgovernment,butinthegrowingefficiencyoftheintellectualandmoralprocessesasawhole。
Thisgeneralstrivingofthepublicmindtowardclearerconsciousnessistooevidenttoescapeanyobserver。Ineveryprovinceoflifeamultiformsocialknowledgeisarisingand,minglingwiththehigherimpulsesofhumannature,isformingasystemofrationalideals,whichthroughleadershipandemulationgraduallyworktheirwayintopractice。
Compare,forinstance,theplacenowtakeninouruniversitiesbyhistory,economics,politicalscience,sociologyandthelikewiththeattentiongiventhem,say,in1875,wheninfactsomeofthesestudieshadnoplaceatall。Orconsiderthemultiplicationsincethesamedateofgovernmentbureaus梖ederal,stateandlocal梬hosemainfunctionistocollect,arrangeanddisseminatesocialknowledge。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatgovernmentsarebecoming,moreandmore,vastlaboratoriesofsocialscience。Observe,also,thenumberofbooksandperiod-
412-icalsseriouslydevotedtothesesubjects。Nodoubtmuchofthisworkisfeverishandshallow梐smustbeexpectedinatimeofchange梑utthereis,onthewhole,nothingmorecertainormorehopefulthantheadvanceinthelargerself-knowledgeofmankind。
Oneresultofthisclearerconsciousnessisthatidealismiscomingtobeorganic;thatistosayeachparticularidealiscomingtobeformedandpursuedinsubordinationtoasystemofidealsbasedonalargeperceptionoffact。Whileputtingaspecialenthusiasmintohisownwork,theidealistislearningthatheneedstohavealsoageneralunderstandingofeverygoodwork,andofthewholetowhichallcontribute。
Forhimtoimaginethathisistheonlyworkworthdoingisasunfortunateasforthecaptainofacompanytoimaginethatheisconductingthewholecampaign。Otherthingsequal,themosteffectiveidealistsarethosewhoaremostsane,andwhohaveasenseforthecomplication,interdependenceandinertiaofhumanconditions。
Astudyoftheidealsandprogrammesthathavehadmostacceptanceeveninrecentyearswouldmakeitapparentthatourstateofmindregardingsocietyhasbeenmuchlikethatwhichprevailedregardingthenaturalworldwhenmensoughtthephilosopher’sstoneandthefountainofperpetualyouth。Muchenergyhasbeenwasted,ornearlywasted,intheexclusiveandintolerantadvocacyofspecialschemes梥ingletax,prohibition,statesocialismandthelike梕achofwhichwasimaginedbyitsadherentstobethekeytomillennialconditions。Everyyear,however,makesconvertstothetruththatnoisolatedschemecanbe,413agoodscheme,andthatrealprogressmustbeanadvanceallalongtheline。Thosewhoseeonlyonethingcanneverseethattruly,andsomustwork,evenatthat,inasomewhatsuperficialanderraticmanner。
Forsimilarreasonsourmoralschemesandstandardsmustgrowlargerandmorecommensuratewiththelifewhichtheyaimtoregulate。[1]Thehigherwillcanneverworkoutunlessitisasintelligentlyconceivedandorganizedascommerceandpolitics。Evidentlyifwedonotseehowlifereallygoesandwhatgoodandillareunderactualconditions,wecanneitherinculcatenorfollowthebettercourses。Thereisnothingforitbuttolearntofeelandtoeffectuatekindsofrightinvolvingasenseofwiderandremoterresultsthanmenhavebeenusedtotakeintoaccount。Asfastasscienceenablesustotracetheoutcomeofagivensortofactionwemustgoontocreateacorrespondingsenseofresponsibilityforthatoutcome。
Thepopularsystemsofethicsarewhollyinadequate,andallthinkingpersonsarecomingtoseethatthosetraitsofdecencyintheobviousrelationsoflifethatwehavebeenaccustomedtoregardasmoralityareingreatpartofsecondaryimportance。ManyofthemareofsomewhatthesamecharacterasJohnWoolman’srefusaltoweardyedhats梬ewonderthatpeopledonotseesomethingmoreimportanttoexercisetheirconsciencesupon。WhenthelargermovementsoflifeweresubconsciousandthegoodandillBowingfromthemwere,414ascribedtoaninscrutableprovidence,moralitycouldnotbeconcernedwiththem;butthemoreweunderstandthemthemoretheymustappearthechieffieldforitsactivity。
Westillhavetodowithobviouswrong梩hedrunkard,thehousebreaker,themurderer,andthelike梑utthesesimpleoffencesareeasytodealwith,comparatively,asbeingevidentandindubitable,sothatallnormalpeoplecondemnthem。Nogreatabilityororganizationupholdsthem;theyareliketheoutbreaksofsavagesorchildreninthattheydonotconstituteaformidablemenacetosociety。And,moreover,wearecomingtoseethattheyaremosteffectuallydealtwithbyindirectandpreventivemethods。
Themoredangerousimmoralityis,ofcourse,thatwhichmakesuseofthelatestenginesofpoliticsorcommercetoinjurethecommunity。
Wrong-doersofthiskindareusuallydecentandkindlyindailywalkandconversation,aswellassupportersofthechurchandotherrespectableinstitutions。Forthemostparttheyarenotevenhypocrites,butmenofadeadandconventionalvirtue,notawaketotherealmeaningofwhattheyareanddo。Alargermoralityrequiresthattheyshouldbewakedup,thatapublicconscience,basedonknowledge,shouldjudgethingsbytheirtrueresults,andshouldknowhowtomakeitsjudgmentseffectual。
Moreover,thisisnotamattermerelyofthebadmenwhomwereadaboutinthenewspapers,butoneofpersonalguiltinallofus。
Itismyobservationthatthesamewrongswhicharehelduptoexecrationinthemagazinesarepresent,underappropriateforms,amongteachers,lawyers,ministers,reputabletradesmen,andotherswho,415comeundermyimmediatenotice。Weareallinit:
thenarrowprinciplesaremuchthesame,thedifferencesbeinglargelyinthescaleofoperations,inbeingornotbeingfoundout,inmoreorlesstimidityintakingrisks?andsoon。
Asomewhatsimilarproblemisthatofenergizingindirectservice。Thegroupsweserve?thenation,theeducationalinstitution,theoppressedclass,forinstance?havecometobesovast,andoftensoremotefromtheeye,thateventheingenuityofthenewspaperandmagazinepresscanhardlymakethemaliveforusanddrawourheartsandourmoneyintheirdirection。The“we“doesnotliveinface-to-facecontact,andthoughphoto-engravingsandstereopticonsandexhibitionsandvividwritingareamarveloussubstitute,theyareofteninadequate,sothatwedonotfeelthecogencyofthecommoninterestsoimmediatelyasdidthemenoftheclans。“Civilization,“saysProfessorSimonPatten,“sparesusmoreandmorethesightofanguish,andourimaginationsmustbecorrespondinglysharpenedtoseeinthecheck-bookanagentasspiritualandpoeticasthegrimeandblood-stainofministeringhands。”[2]Howfarthismaycometopassitishardtosay:formyself,Idonotfinditeasytowritechecksforobjectsthatarenotmaderealtomebysomesortofpersonalcontact。Nodoubt,however,ourgrowingsystemofvoluntaryinstitutions?churches,philanthropicsocieties,fraternalorders,laborunionsandthelike?aretrainingusinthehabitofexpressingourselvesthroughthecheck-bookandotherindirectagents。
Iexpect,however,thatthebestresultswillflownot,416merelyfromanintelligentgeneralbenevolencethatwriteschecksforallsortsofgoodcauses,butfromakindofspecializationinwell-doing,thatwillenableonebyfamiliaritytoseethroughthetangleofrelationsataparticularpointandactintheviewoftruth。Inphilanthropy,forinstance,anincreasingnumberofmenandwomenofwealthandabilitywilldevotenotonlytheirchecksbuttrainedthoughtandpersonalexertiontosomeparticularsortofworkwhichtakesholdoftheirinterest?tothewelfareofdependentchildren,oftheblind,andsoon梞akingthistheirbusiness,givingitthesamecloseandeagerattentiontheywouldanyotherbusiness,andsocomingtounderstanditthroughandthrough。
These,alongwithsalariedworkers,willbetheleadersineachspecialline,andwilldrawafterthemthelesspersonalsupportofthosewhohaveconfidenceinthem;butpeoplewillneversendmuchoftheirtreasurewheretheirheartdoesnotgofirst。Everycityandneighborhoodhasitsurgentsocialneedswhichtheresidentmaystudyanddevotehimselftowithmuchbetterresultstotheworldandtohisowncharacterthanifhelimitshimselftothewritingofchecks。Andforthatmattereveryoccupation梐slaw,medicine,teachingandthevarioussortsofbusinessandhand-labor梙asitsownphilanthropiesandreformsintowhichonemayputallthedevotionheiscapableof。Ifeachofuschoosessomedisinterestedformofpublicserviceandputshimselfthoroughlyintoit,thingswillgoverywell。
Anothertendencyinvolvedintheriseofpublicwillisthattowardagreatersimplicityandflexibilityofstructure,417ineveryprovinceoflife:principlesaretakingtheplaceofformulas。
Intheearlyhistoryofasciencethebodyofknowledgeconsistsofamassofill-understoodandill-relatedobservations,speculationsandfancies,whichthediscipletakesontheauthorityofthemaster:butasprinciplesarediscoveredthisincoherentstructurefallstopieces,andisreplacedbyacourseofstudybasedonexperimentandinference。
Sointheearlygrowthofeveryinstitutionthetruththatitembodiesisnotperceivedorexpressedinsimplicity,butobscurelyincarnatedincustomandformula。Theperceptionofprinciplesdoesnotdoawaywiththemechanism,buttendstomakeitsimple,flexible,human,definitelyservingaconsciouspurposeandquicktostandorfallaccordingtoitssuccess。Undertheoldsystemeverythingispreserved,becausemendonotknowjustwherethevirtueresides;underthenewtheessentialiskeptandtherestthrownaway。
Orwemaysaythatthechangeislikethesubstitutionofanalphabetforpicturewriting,withtheresultthatlanguagebecomesatthesametimemorecomplexinitsstructureandsimplerinitselements。
Whenonceitisdiscoveredthatallspeechmaybereducedtoafewelementarysoundsthesymbolsofthese,beingsufficienttoexpressallpossiblewords,aremoreefficientandlesscumbersomethanthemanycharactersthatwereusedbefore。
Themethodofthischangeisthatstruggleforexistenceamongideaswhichisimpliedinthewideandfreeintercourseofmodernlife。Inthisonlythevital,humanandindispensablecansurvive,andtruthisevercastingoffsuperfluityandworkingitselfdowntofirstprinciples。
418Wehaveremarkedthisinthecaseofreligion,anditwouldbeeasytofindthesameprocessatworkinothertraditions。
Themodernworld,then,inspiteofitscomplexity,maybecomefundamentallysimpler,moreconsistentandreasonable。Apparentlyformalismcannevermorebeanacceptedandjustifiedcondition,anymorethanreasoncanbeexchangedfortheblindinstinctoftheloweranimals。
Itwillexistwhereverthoughtandfeelingareinadequatetocreateawill梐sismuchthecaseatpresent?butpeoplewillnotbecontentwithitasinthepast。Therewillbecreeds,buttheywillaffirmnomorethanisreallyhelpfultobelieve,ritual,butonlywhatisbeautifuloredifying;
everythingmustjustifyitselfbyfunction。
Publicwill,likeindividualwill,hasthepurposeofeffectinganadaptationtoconditionsthatisrationalandeconomicalinsteadofhaphazardandwasteful。Ingeneralitshouldgreatlydiminish,thoughitcanhardlyobviate,thecostofsocialchange。Incommerce,forinstance,ithasalreadyrenderedcriseslesssuddenanddestructive梚nspiteoftheenormousscaleofmoderntransactions梐ndthetimeshouldnotbeveryfarawaywhentroubleofthissortwillbesoforeseenanddiscountedandsoprovidedagainstbyvarioussortsofinsuranceastodobutlittledamage。
Inthesamewaythevastproblemofpoverty,andofthedegeneracythatspringsfromit,canbemetandingreatpartconqueredbyalong-sightedphilanthropyandeducation。Inreligionthereisapparentlynomoreneedofthatcalamitousoverthrowofthefoundationsofbelieffromwhichmanysufferedinthepassinggeneration。Inthestateviolentrevolutionseemslikely,419todisappearasfastasdemocracyisorganized;
whileininternationalrelationsitwillbestrangeifwedonotseearapiddiminutionofwar。Inallthesematters,andinmanyothers,socialcostsarecapableofbeingforeseenandprovidedagainstbyrationalmeasuresexpressinganenlightenedpublicwill。
Theguidingforcebackofpublicwill,nowasever,isofcoursehumannatureitselfinitsmoreenduringcharacteristics,thosewhichfindexpressioninprimarygroupsandarelittleaffectedbyinstitutionalchanges。Thisnature,familiaryetinscrutable,isapparentlyinapositiontoworkitselfoutmoreadequatelythanatanytimeinthepast。
Endnotes,ThislineofthoughtiedevelopedbyProfessorE。A。Rossinhisbook,SinandSociety。TheNewBasisofCivilization,61。,