220 Evolution of Society. 



parent in society. But on looking into the organization of 

 living bodies more thoroughly, it is found that such con- 

 tinuity is not alone sufficient, but must be accompanied by 

 capacities of intercommunication and control throughout,, 

 which, being seriously impaired, though continuity may re- 

 main, death and disintegration begin. An essential part of 

 growth is this increase of capacity for intercommunication 

 and control ; and when it begins to fail, as in paralysis or 

 gangrene, the organism begins straightway to lose its char- 

 acteristics as such. In the social aggregate a similar state 

 of things is found to exist — establishing a mutual depend- 

 ence of parts which constitutes organization. 



Nor is this conception of society as an organism so new 

 and strange as it may seem to be. For many generations 

 past, in the domain of law, it has been customary to treat 

 aggregates of men, some known as private and others as 

 public corporations, as artificial persons, to be held respon- 

 sible to natural persons, to the State, and to other like arti- 

 ficial persons, as natural persons are held, and having other 

 powers and duties of natural persons. This has come 

 about, apparently, because it was found impossible to deal 

 with them on any other principle than that which assumed 

 that they had the characteristics, qualities and powers of real 

 persons. The artificial part of these corporate persons has 

 been furnished either by the legislative branch of the State, 

 or the autocratic power of the king; but, nevertheless, 

 characteristics of independent organic structure of high 

 order are also to be found, among the most important of 

 which is continuity of life beyond the ordinary periods of 

 human life. 



In the Spencerian argument for the organic nature of 

 society, there seems, however, to be one very essential but 

 missing link. "Society," he says, "exists for the benefit 

 of its members, not its members for the benefit of the so- 

 ciety," there being no Social Sensorium, Consciousness not 

 being concentrated in a small part of the aggregate, but 

 being diffused throughout the aggregate, and all the units, 

 of society possessing the capacity for happiness and misery 

 in equal or at least approximate degrees ; — whereas, in the 

 individual organism, consciousness is concentrated in a 

 small part of the aggregate, — the nervous system, — to 

 which the assets of happiness and misery especially belong. 

 And he holds that this difference between the individual 



