Human Nature and the Social Order

Contents

Charles Horton Cooley

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INTRODUCTION
HEREDITY AND INSTINCT

THE EVOLUTIONARY POINT OF VIEW—TWO CHANNELS OF LIFE— WHAT WE GET FROM HEREDITY AND WHAT FROM SOCIETY—OUR MODE OF LIFE DOES NOT ALTER THE HEREDITY OF OUR CHILDREN—SELECTION IN HEREDITY—EUGENICS—HEREDITY AND PROGRESS—INTERACTION OF HEREDITY AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT—ARE THEY ANTAGONISTIC ?—THE TEACHABILITY OF HUMAN HEREDITY—LONG INFANCY—TEACHABLE HEREDITY IMPLIES A DIVERSE AND CHANGING LIFE—WHAT IS INSTINCT?— INSTINCTIVE EMOTION IN MAN—EXAMPLES OF INSTINCTIVE EMOTIONAL DISPOSITION—HUMAN CONDUCT NOT TO BE EXPLAINED BY THE DIRECT WORKING OF INSTINCT—REASON AS ORGANIZATION OF PLASTIC INSTINCT—HUMAN HISTORY—WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE ? DOES HUMAN NATURE CHANGE ?

 

CHAPTER I
SOCIETY AND THE INDIVIDUAL

AN ORGANIC RELATION -- THEY ARE ASPECTS OF THE SAME THING -- THE FALLACY OF SETTING THEM IN OPPOSITION -- VARIOUS FORMS OF THIS FALLACY -- FAMILIAR QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY MAY BE ANSWERED

 

CHAPTER II
SUGGESTION AND CHOICE

THE MEANING OF THESE TERMS AND THEIR RELATION TO EACH OTHER -- INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF WILL OR CHOICE -- SUGGESTION AND CHOICE IN CHILDREN -- THE SCOPE OF SUGGESTION COMMONLY UNDERESTIMATED -- PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS UPON DELIBERATE CHOICE -- ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ACTION OF THE MILIEU -- CLASS ATMOSPHERES -- OUR UNCONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR EPOCH -- THE GREATER OR LESS ACTIVITY OF CHOICE REFLECTS THE STATE OF SOCIETY -- SUGGESTIBILITY

 

CHAPTER III
SOCIABILITY AND PERSONAL IDEAS

AIM OF THIS CHAPTER -- THE SOCIABILITY OF CHILDREN -- IMAGINARY CONVERSATION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE -- THE NATURE OF THE IMPULSE TO COMMUNICATE -- THERE IS NO SEPARATION BETWEEN REAL AND IMAGINARY PERSONS -- NOR BETWEEN THOUGHT AND INTERCOURSE -- THE STUDY AND INTERPRETATION OF EXPRESSION BY CHILDREN -- THE SYMBOL OR SENSUOUS NUCLEUS OF PERSONAL IDEAS -- PERSONAL ATMOSPHERE -- PERSONAL PHYSIOGNOMY IN ART AND LITERATURE -- IN THE IDEA OF SOCIAL GROUPS -- SENTIMENT IN PERSONAL IDEAS -- THE PERSONAL IDEA IS THE IMMEDIATE SOCIAL REALITY -- SOCIETY MUST BE STUDIED IN THE IMAGINATION --THE POSSIBLE REALITY OF INCORPOREAL PERSONS -- THE MATERIAL NOTION OF PERSONALITY CONTRASTED WITH THE NOTION BASED ON A STUDY OF PERSONAL IDEAS -- SELF AND OTHER IN PERSONAL IDEAS -- PERSONAL OPPOSITION -- FURTHER ILLUSTRATION AND DEFENSE OF THE VIEW OF PERSONS AND SOCIETY HERE SET FORTH

 

CHAPTER IV
SYMPATHY OR UNDERSTANDING AS AN ASPECT OF SOCIETY

THE MEANING OF SYMPATHY AS HERE USED -- ITS RELATION TO THOUGHT, SENTIMENT, AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE -- THE RANGE OF SYMPATHY IS A MEASURE OF PERSONALITY, e.g., OF POWER, OF MORAL RANK, AND OF SANITY -- A MAN'S SYMPATHIES REFLECT THE STATE OF THE SOCIAL ORDER -- SPECIALIZATION AND BREADTH -- SYMPATHY REFLECTS SOCIAL PROCESS IN THE MINGLING OF LIKENESS WITH DIFFERENCE -- ALSO IN THAT IT IS A PROCESS OF SELECTION GUIDED BY FEELING -- THE MEANING OF LOVE IN SOCIAL DISCUSSION -- LOVE IN RELATION TO SELF -- THE STUDY OF SYMPATHY REVEALS THE VITAL UNITY OF HUMAN LIFE

 

CHAPTER V
THE SOCIAL SELF -- 1. THE MEANING OF "I"

THE "EMPIRICAL SELF" --"I" AS A STATE OF FEELING -- ITS RELATION TO THE BODY -- AS A SENSE OF POWER OR CAUSATION -- AS A SENSE OF SPECIALITY OR DIFFERENTIATION IN A SOCIAL LIFE -- WHEN THE BODY IS "I"; INANIMATE OBJECTS --THE REFLECTED OR LOOKING-GLASS "I" -- "I" IS ROOTED IN THE PAST AND VARIES WITH SOCIAL CONDITIONS -- ITS RELATION TO HABIT -- TO DISINTERESTED LOVE -- HOW CHILDREN LEARN THE MEANING OF "I" -- THE SPECULATIVE OR METAPHYSICAL "I" IN CHILDREN -- THE LOOKING-GLASS "I" IN CHILDREN -- THE SAME IN ADOLESCENCE -- "I" IN RELATION TO SEX -- SIMPLICITY AND AFFECTATION -- SOCIAL SELF-FEELING IS UNIVERSAL -- THE GROUP SELF OR "WE"

 

CHAPTER VI
THE SOCIAL SELF -- 2. VARIOUS PHASES OF "I"

EGOTISM AND SELFISHNESS -- THE USE OF "I" IN LITERATURE AND CONVERSATION -- INTENSE SELF-FEELING NECESSARY TO PRODUCTIVITY -- OTHER PHASES OF THE SOCIAL SELF -- PRIDE versus VANITY -- SELF-RESPECT, HONOR, SELF-REVERENCE -- HUMILITY -- MALADIES OF THE SOCIAL SELF -- WITHDRAWAL -- SELF-TRANSFORMATION -- PHASES OF THE SELF CAUSED BY INCONGRUITY BETWEEN THE PERSON AND HIS SURROUNDINGS -- THE SELF IN SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

 

CHAPTER VII
HOSTILITY

SIMPLE OR ANIMAL ANGER -- SOCIAL ANGER -- THE FUNCTION OF HOSTILITY -- THE DOCTRINE OF NON-RESISTANCE -- CONTROL AND TRANSFORMATION OF HOSTILITY BY REASON -- HOSTILITY AS PLEASURE OR PAIN -- THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCEPTED SOCIAL STANDARDS -- FEAR

 

CHAPTER VIII
EMULATION

CONFORMITY -- NON-CONFORMITY -- THE TWO VIEWED AS COMPLEMENTARY PHASES OF LIFE -- RIVALRY -- RIVALRY IN SOCIAL SERVICE -- CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH EMULATION IN SERVICE MAY PREVAIL -- HERO-WORSHIP

 

CHAPTER IX
LEADERSHIP OR PERSONAL ASCENDANCY

LEADERSHIP DEFINES AND ORGANIZES VAGUE TENDENCY -- POWER AS BASED UPON THE MENTAL STATE OF THE ONE SUBJECT TO IT -- THE MENTAL TRAITES OF A LEADER: SIGNIFICANCE AND BREADTH -- WHY THE FAME AND POWER OF A MAN OFTEN TRANSCEND HIS REAL CHARACTER -- ASCENDANCY OF BELIEF AND HOPE -- MYSTERY -- GOOD FAITH AND IMPOSTURE -- DOES THE LEADER REALLY LEAD?

 

CHAPTER X
THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF CONSCIENCE

THE RIGHT AS THE RATIONAL -- SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS VIEW -- THE RIGHT AS THE ONWARD -- THE RIGHT AS HABIT -- RIGHT IS NOT THE SOCIAL AS AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL -- IT IS, IN A SENSE, THE SOCIAL AS AGAINST THE SENSUAL -- THE RIGHT AS A SYNTHESIS OF PERSONAL INFLUENCES -- PERSONAL AUTHORITY -- CONFESSION, PRAYER, PUBLICITY -- TRUTH -- DEPENDENCE OF RIGHT UPON IMAGINATION -- CONSCIENCE REFLECTS A SOCIAL GROUP -- IDEAL PERSONS AS FACTORS IN CONSCIENCE -- SOME IDEAS OF RIGHT ARE UNIVERSAL

 

CHAPTER XI
PERSONAL DEGENERACY

IS A PHASE OF THE QUESTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG — RELATION TO THE IDEA OF DEVELOPMENT — JUSTIFICATION AND MEANING OF THE PHRASE "PERSONAL DEGENERACY" — HEREDITARY AND SOCIAL FACTORS IN PERSONAL DEGENERACY — DEGENERACY AS A MENTAL TRAIT — CONSCIENCE IN DEGENERACY — GROUP DEGENERACY — CRIME, INSANITY, AND RESPONSIBILITY — PRACTICAL EFFECT OF THE ORGANIC VIEW UPON RESPONSIBILITY — UPON PUNISHMENT

 

CHAPTER XII
FREEDOM

THE MEANING OF FREEDOM -- FREEDOM AND DISCIPLINE -- FREEDOM AS A PHASE OF THE SOCIAL ORDER -- FREEDOM INVOLVES INCIDENTAL STRAIN AND DEGENERACY

Notes

No notes

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