Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/178

 1 66 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

themselves as distinguishable types of mind and of character in the aggregate of individuals; while the differing degrees of promptitude and persistency in response have as their conse- quence a differentiation of the aggregate into leaders and fol- lowers, those that assume initiative and responsibility, and those that habitually look for guidance. These differences and resemblances have subjective consequences. Differing indi- viduals become aware of their differences, resembling individuals become aware of their resemblances, and the consciousness of kind so engendered becomes thenceforth a potent factor in further social evolution.

Summarizing our analysis to this point, we may say that we conceive of society as any plural number of sentient creatures more or less continuously subjected to common stimuli, to differ- ing stimuli, and to inter-stimulation, and responding thereto in like behavior, concerted activity, or co-operation, as well as in unlike, or competitive, activity; and becoming therefore, with developing intelligence, coherent through a dominating con- sciousness of kind, while always sufficiently conscious of differ- ence to insure a measure of individual liberty.

Which of these various conceptions of the ultimate nature of the social relation shall in the long run prevail must depend upon a certain fitness to account for all the phenomena of social life in the simplest terms. That fitness can be determined only through the further evolution of social theory.

But whatever the finally accepted view may be, there are cer- tain classifications of social facts that may be accepted as among the elementary notions of any sociological system.

And first there are types or kinds of societies. The broadest groupings correspond to the familiar demarkations made by Natural History. There are animal societies and human soci- eties; and the human societies are further divided into the eth- nic or communities of kindred, and the civil or communities composed of individuals that dwell and work together without regard to their blood-relationships.

More significant for the sociologist, however, is a classification