206 ADAPTATION AND PROGRESS 



predominate over rational like-mindedness. Conversely, social 

 institutions are liberal, allowing the utmost freedom of thought 

 and action to the individual only in those communities in which 

 there is a high development of rational like-mindedness." ^ 



A second law enforcing his thesis that highly- developed con- 

 sciousness of kind of a relative homogeneous population is neces- 

 sary for the success of a democracy, is as follows: " The forms of 

 social organization, whether political or other, in their relation 

 to the individual, are necessarily coercive if, in their membership, 

 there is great diversity of kind and great inequality. Conversely, 

 institutions or other forms of social organization can be liberal, 

 conceding the utmost freedom to the individual if, in the popula- 

 tion, there is fraternity and, back of fraternity, an approximate 

 mental and moral equality." ^ 



Efficiency in social organization is measured by benefit con- 

 ferred on the members and depends upon moral qualities, together 

 with a recognition of the value of expert knowledge (the basis of 

 effective division of labor) .^ The results of such efficiency of 

 social organization are seen " in the economic, intellectual, and 

 moral life of the community, and especially in the development of 

 an improving type of human personality." * This means the 

 emancipation of man from fear and superstition, decrease of 

 emotionalism and impulsive action, and increase of rational sym- 

 pathy and purposeful co-operation. "If . . . man is becoming 

 ever better as a human being, more rational, more sympathetic, 

 with an ever-broadening consciousness of kind, — then, whatever 

 its apparent defects, the social organization is sound and effi- 

 cient." 5 



The socius is thus the social unit for Giddings and the social 

 mind is nothing more than the interaction or organization of 

 individual minds.^ Taking his point of departure from English 

 associational psychology, in sociology the association of minds is 

 substituted for the association of ideas.^ 



1 Elements, p. 219. * Ihid., p. 221. 



' Ihid., pp. 225, 226; cf. Inductive Sociology, pp. 449 f. 



* Elements, p. 227. ' Ihid., p. 230. 



* Ibid., pp. 119 £.; Principles, pp. 420 i. 



' Principles, p. 25; -Barth, op. cit., p. 183. 



