Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/48

 34 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

States having its "national conscience" aroused. Unless we are willing to admit that a state has a conscience we must beware of such terminology. Every citizen has a conscience, but that the state as such possesses one is a question of the gravest doubt. One gets the impression from such language of a great monster being stirred into action against those individuals who have been guilty of graft; and we wonder if it will not soon tire of this unwonted exertion and sink again into its customary lethargy. But is there really any such separate entity? Is there such a separate conscience? Vast numbers of individuals have had their consciences disturbed by disclosures of dishonesty and corruption ; many of them may conceivably lose interest in the campaign for clean government as soon as the novelty is worn off; but unless we are ready to accept the organic dogma with all its difficulties and excessive demands upon our imaginations, we must keep clearly in mind that in using such terms as "national conscience" \ we are employing the boldest metaphors.

1^^ The liability to drift into hazy ideas in this connection is increased by the admitted fact that people are apt to act differently when grouped together, either in a crowd, or through common interests and desires, though not in physical contact, than when alone. There is no doubt but that the conduct of the individuals composing a crowd is very different from that of the same people when they are isolated. This leads us to talk of the conduct of crowds, the crimes of crowds, the indignation, violence, or mag- nanimity, the enthusiasm, the desire, or the sentiment of crowds. These terms are quite admissible if we always remember that they are metaphorical. A crowd cannot, independently of its mem- bers, commit crime or violence, exercise magnanimity, or become enthusiastic. Crowds, nations, and societies are merely names given to groups of individuals who display under these social conditions certain characteristics and do certain acts which they never display or do otherwise. They are not separate entities or organisms incapable of analysis into the individuals of which they are composed. Social phenomena are nothing but individual action performed under special conditions which give it a special character.