COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY 147 



ing. They allow that "I" am a person because 

 "I" possess rationality and self -consciousness. 

 But " I " am a system or organisation of innumer- 

 able beings electrons, groupings of electrons, 

 groups of groupings in rising complexity. " I " 

 the body and soul which makes up "me" am 

 nothing but a collective being myself. And if we 

 take the case of "England" as an example of a 

 collective being, we shall see that England has as 

 much right to be considered a personal being as any 

 single Englishman, composed as he is of innumer- 

 able separate beings. 



Perhaps to one who is representing England 

 among strange peoples the personality of England 

 is more apparent than to those who are constantly 

 living in England itself. To the foreign people among 

 whom this representative is living England is a very 

 real person. What she thinks about them, what 

 she does, what her intentions are, what is her 

 character and disposition, are matters of high 

 interest ; for upon England's good or ill will towards 

 them may perhaps depend to a large extent their 

 own future. Viewed from a distance like that, 

 England quite obviously does possess a character 

 of her own. She appears to some people large- 

 hearted and generous ; to others aggressive and 

 domineering ; to most solid, sensible, reasonable, 

 steadfast, and steady. And to all she has a character 

 quite distinctive and her own quite different from 

 the character of France or of Russia. And England 

 with equal obviousness thinks. She forms her own 

 opinions of other nations, of their character, inten- 

 tions, activities, and feelings. She thinks over her 



