Page:The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis III 1922 1.djvu/109

 BOOK REVIEWS lOi

dividual from the control of those restraining forces which are the products of civilisation. The theory of a 'collective consciousness" de- rives some support if we consider tiie relation of the cell to tiie organ- ism as a whole. The divisibility of lower animals as well as the fact of multiplication by division points to the organic origin of what we call the group mind (pp. 32, 33). This is the basis of the Spencerian view of society. As an organism certain lower multicellular organisms are what are called compound or colonial animals; that is, tiiey form a single living mass with interdependent parts, each of which is an individual in itself (pp. 33, 35). The emotional life of a simple crowd is characterized by tiie primary emotions and lower and coarser sent- iments, which although hidden under a thin layer of cultural differen- tiation form the common property of mankind at large. Sublimation in the crowd is conditioned by full publicity which tends to suppress the more selfish current of feelings. One of the reasons why an individual is more apt to give free vent to his brutal tendencies when acting in a crowd is a sense of becoming depersonalised, a feeling of reduced responsibility (p. 40).

McDougalt passes on to consider the differences and similarities '

between the crowd and the highly organised group such as an army or regiment We will not follow him into details here, but will rattier sum up the question from our point of view; in the crowd we have unrestrained impulse, in the organised group we have impulse plus inhibition. The former is represented by tiie common members, the latter by the officials and organisation of tiie group. The question of traditional group consciousness (p. 51) seems to be a special case of the principle of universal repetition ; once victorious a regiment will always be expected botii by friend and foe to repeat this victory, and tiie expectation will produce tiie expected result (p. 51). A weapon which has been wielded with success by a Maori is said to be imbued with magical essence, 'rnana', and will give tiie man who uses it the self- confidence which is an essential condition of success. Interaction and contact witii other groups is anotiier impoi-tant factor in tiie organi- sation of tiie group, but we must translate the remarks of our author from tiie language of consciousness to tiiat of tiie unconscious if we are to gain insight into the mechanism of the processes involved in this interaction. The most important of tiiese is that q{ projection-, tiie primitive impulses which have been repressed into tiie unconscious, or at least relegated by tiie second censorship to the preconscious, are projected into tiie alien group, which thus becomes an insbiiment of abreaction and national sublimation. McDougall distinguishes five levels

of collective conation, from the purely impulsive to that in which an &

organisation and the idea of the group as a super-individual entity "■«

come into action. The various degrees of evolution explain the success ■