Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/611

 PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF SOCIETY 597

more psychological in its subject-matter than biological; that is, that it is much more dependent upon psychology than upon biology. Human society presents itself as a plexus of interac- tions, or interrelations, between individuals. Now these inter- actions between individuals are very largely interactions of thought, feeling, and will. So largely are they psychical, that we rarely stop to think of their physical side at all. Mind itself, indeed, was apparently largely developed to perfect these inter- actions. The interrelations between individuals which go to make up society, in other words, are ddminantly psychical, and all explanations of human society must be largely a matter of the psychology of these relations. Disregarding the biological aspect of society, the social sciences, therefore, present themselves as very largely extensions of psychology into practical human affairs. This is especially true of sociology; for the special social sciences deal with the more specialized products of social activity which are relatively more removed from the purely psychical, while sociology deals with the associational process itself, which is directly dependent upon psychical activities. Hence, modern sociology acknowledges the suzerainty of psychology.

Neither to the psychologist nor to the sociologist, but only to the generality, is it necessary to say that this reasoning by no means makes sociology merely a section of general psychology. The problems of the two sciences remain distinct, and therefore, in the scientific division of labor, there will always be room for the two sciences. Pure psychology necessarily concerns itself with immediate experience, that is, with the forms and mechanism of consciousness; while sociology concerns itself with the prob- lems of the interrelations or interactions of individuals and of the resulting social organization and evolution. The latter problems are, however, dependent for their adequate solution upon the solution of the former. An adequate view of human society can only be developed when we have an adequate view of human nature. The development of psychology during the past fifteen years has, accordingly, not only revealed human nature, but also human society, in new lights. While it may still be premature to announce in detail the view of human society which modern