Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/21

 A SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF SOVEREIGNTY J

constitute the bases of the state, the family, political parties, do the same. The differentiation of institutions is not their isolation. They all continue to act organically, each upon the other, through the interaction of the beliefs and desires peculiar to each.

While the beliefs of each person are the product of his desires and his social education, and, consequently, are the mark which self-consciousness adds to desire, they are, at the same time, like desires, satisfied only through some form of the mate- rial of nature. No matter how ethereal and elevated the belief, it, like all things human, is a part of nature. " Life, in all its manifestations," says Spencer, "inclusive of intelligence in its highest form, consists in the continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations."' But this adjustment is differ- ent for beliefs from that for desires. Desires are satisfied by the raw material of nature. But nature's products are irregular, inadequate, and, for the higher wants, wholly lacking. Nature's material must be worked over by human thought and labor for the purpose both of creating and of satisfying human desires and beliefs. This the economists call the production of wealth. It is an essential part of that social education, above described, whereby the individual's self-consciousness is evoked and his beliefs are given form. It is also the means for satisfying these desires and beliefs when once evoked. " In consumption," says Hegel, " it is chiefly human products and human efforts that are used up." Now, each social institution has its own peculiar social product which forms its material basis. The activity of individuals associated in each institution is concerned with the production and consumption of this physical material. The industrial and business institutions are preeminently devoted to the production of material things to be consumed in the other institutions. But the others also first add their own peculiar increment of usefulness and value before consumption takes place. Religion has its fetiches, idols, temples, its host and relics, whose worth proceeds from the touch and word of the holy priest, answering to the faith of the believers. The family has its keepsakes and heirlooms, but especially its food, clothing,

'First Principles, p. 25.