2O4 ADAPTATION AND PROGRESS 



Reflective sympathy arises when imitation and like response 

 are the result of reflective, intelligent volition. " Resembling 

 individuals not only sympathize with one another, but they know 

 that they sympathize, and to a certain extent they are aware that 

 their sympathy is affected by the perception of resemblance." l 

 Two other consequences of resemblance are affection and desire 

 for recognition. 2 



This four-fold mode of consciousness appears to the expe- 

 riencing individual as a unitary fact and is called by our author 

 consciousness of kind which he defines as " that pleasurable state 

 of mind which includes organic sympathy, the perception of 

 resemblance, conscious or reflective sympathy, affection, and the 

 desire for recognition." 3 This, he holds, is the simplest of all 

 the states of mind which can be called social, and its growth is the 

 mental or subjective side of socialization, its objective side being 

 dependent upon communication and association.* 



The process of growing alike is termed assimilation. 5 



The fundamental importance of consciousness of kind in Gid- 

 dings' social philosophy is seen from the following: " Conscious- 

 ness of kind modifies appetite and desire. . . . [It] modifies the 

 ideas and the desires that enter into the consciousness of integral 

 self-satisfaction. . . . [It] modifies impression . . . and imita- 

 tion." 6 He holds that like-mindedness must precede co-opera- 

 tion, and that where consciousness of kind exists, co-operation 

 necessarily follows. 7 It is the basis of the form of association 

 termed social pleasure. 8 Consciousness of kind is the basis of 

 social groupings both component and constituent, the former 

 based on likeness of type, the latter on likeness of purpose, and 

 expresses itself according to the following law : " The social 

 composition develops in proportion to the intensity and scope of 

 the passion for homogeneity." 9 Human nature, our author 



1 Inductive Sociology, p. 64. * Ibid., pp. 68, 69. 



* Ibid., pp. 64, 65. 6 Ibid., p. 70. 



8 Ibid., p. 66. 



8 Ibid., pp. 70-72; cf. Principles, pp. 18 f.; Inductive Sociology, pt. 2, chs. II, III. 



7 Elements, p. 80. 



8 Ibid., p. 89. 



9 Ibid., p. 192. 



