Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/543

 METAPHYSICAL ELEMENTS IN SOCIOLOGY 527

He reaches his subjective understanding of the social copy by imitation, and then he confirms his interpretations by another imitative act by which he ejectively reads his self-thought into the persons of others."

The nature of ejective interpretation has been discussed above. 63 In further substantiation of this position that a principle of imitation, which shall be an adequate principle for sociological explanation, must have more than merely external reference, we might gather some testimony from the psychologist.

One of the most important functions of imitation is to intro- duce into one mind (the imitator's) content that has been present in the mind of another (the imitated). It may be asked whether the use of language does not cover this, and the answer will be that by imitation that content achieves greater clearness and more meaning in the mind of the imitator. Professor Stout, in speak- ing of the function of language in transmitting to the individual, content which he has not observed, and which it would be impos- sible for him to observe, says :

His [the individual's] debt is not merely confined to interchange of ideas by means of language. Imitation also plays a large part. In doing or attempt- ing to do what others have done before him, he rethinks the thoughts which have passed through their minds; and he also in the same process acquires novel ideas, inasmuch as imitation is rarely, if ever, exact reproduction of that which is imitated.**

M. Tarde holds that a great many social actions result from the imitation of some great personality. This imitation appears in a form somewhat analogous to hypnotic suggestion. But, as society becomes more complex, the number of suggesting person- alities increases, with the result that a greater degree of freedom is reached in a " mutual imitation." He says :

Mutual imitation, mutual prestige, or sympathy in the sense of Adam Smith, is produced only in our so-called waking life and among people who seem to exercise no magnetic influence over one another.*

The significance that this passage has for us is that he would make the terms " mutual imitation " and " sympathy in the meaning of Adam Smith " synonymous. This is shown by the fact that he

w Ibid., p. 527. * Vide pp. 522 f.

14 Manual of Psychology, p. 510. * Op. cit., p. 79.