Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/91

 THE BASIS OF SOCIALITY 79

opposed to normal sociology. The truest part of man, the best and most righteous, is that which is most specific and most altruistic, that which contributes most to social organic welfare, which again must be defined in terms of survival of well- provided-for progeny. True selfishness or sin is that service rendered the whole which is for the individual's own immediate benefit and which is harmful to the body politic of which it forms a part. It may be incidentally mentioned at this point that on this basis a standard of values can be established in ethical matters an impossible matter if the ethical standard is one of motives or happiness. The action of an educated man who can foresee future results is of more value than that of an ignorant man ruled by a few unbending motives.

The struggle for existence is a secondary law, being subordi- nate and subservient to the law of social service. The social service of the parts is improved by the betterment of the parts. Hence the worth of personality and individuality ; hence the struggle for freedom in history. Self-preservation, self-control, and the perfection of one's own personality are duties, and imperative duties at that, but not categorical imperatives. "The perfection of one's powers" is, after all, only a means of obeying the categorical imperative of social service. It is here that we find the supreme court of appeal, from which there is no recourse. It may also be well to point out that from the biological and sociological standpoint it is not so much a ques- tion of the survival of individuals as a question of the survival of the best combination of parts a much wider view.

This grounding of the social in the universal phenomena of the division of labor throws a strong light on certain prevalent theories as to the nature of sociology. One of the most promi- nent characteristics of this division of labor is the differentiation of parts. Integration of parts means the connected play of these parts, so that if one functions the others are affected. Differ- entiation from other organs means individuality and difference ; integration is not necessarily an interaction of similar parts, but rather an interaction of the different parts. The phenomena of integration or sociality are therefore inadequately described as