Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 1.djvu/494

482 a) There is substantial agreement that the nature of society may be described as organic in a very general sense.

b) The careful use of analogies is at present a source of aid to most minds but, it is conceivable, may gradually become of less importance as new conceptions are formed.

c) In short, the theory is to be judged solely by its service in extending a knowledge of actual relations in society. In so far as it may be made useful it is to be defended; in so far as it is true it will persist.

VII.

The attempt to define social phenomena, or at least to discriminate them from the phenomena of biology and psychology has resulted in the following theories:

1. Coöperation or mutual service is held by some thinkers to be the criterion by which social phenomena may be set off from others.

2. Imitation is declared by Tarde to be the true touchstone for testing social phenomena. Tarde extends the meaning of this term to include recombination of models of ideas or things which in turn become the models for others.

3. Contract, the originally conscious or subsequently unconscious agreement between individuals themselves and between individuals and society, is regarded by DeGreef as the essential characteristic of social phenomena.

4. Contact, which includes all relations between individuals in associated life, is advanced by Professor Small as the best generally descriptive term to be employed. This conception includes all the essential elements of the above definitions, the first of which is too narrow, the second too vague, the third only partially true. In the nature of things an exact and specific definition is most difficult to frame, so that this general statement may be accepted as a practical working conception.