204. 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.” ! 
Two other consequences of resemblance are affection and desire 
for recognition. 
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.””* 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.® 
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.” ® He holds that like-mindedness must precede co-opera- 
tion, and that where consciousness of kind exists, co-operation 
necessarily follows.’ It is the basis of the form of association 
termed social pleasure. 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.” ® Human nature, our author 
1 Inductive Sociology, p. 64. 4 Ibid., pp. 68, 69. 
2 Thid., pp. 64, 65. 5 Thid., p. 70. 
3 Ibid., p. 66. 
8 [bid., pp. 70-72; ch. Principles, pp. 18 £.; Inductive Sociology, pt. 2, chs. II, III. 
7 Elements, p. 80. 
8 Ibid., p. 89. 
® Tbid., p. 192. 
