NOTES AND ABSTRACTS 8S3
making for a broader spirit of peace, justice, and liberty. — M. LE CoMTE Goblet d'Ai.viella, " La representation proportionelle et le regime parlementaire," in Rn'ut ties deux Mondes^ January i, 1900.
The Group Spirit. — Several varieties or different manifestations of the group spirit may be distinguished as follows: (\) the mob spirit (a very distinct type); (2) tlie fiimily spirit, which takes the form of the clan spirit in case of war; (3) the pro- fessional spirit, or esprit de corps in its proper sense, such as the sacerdotal, the aca- demic, the military, the judiciary, the mercantile spirit, etc.; (4) the parly spirit, which, through the publicity of the press, tends to become public spirit ; (5) the (religious) sectarian spirit; {t) the national spirit or patriotism; and (7) the supra- national spirit, or spirit of the civilization, frequently taking its name from the domi- nating religion, such as the Christian, the Mohammedan, the Buddhist, etc.
The question of the socio-psychological nature of these varieties of the group spirit, and of the role which they play in the formation and development of societies, is the central question in sociology. Esprit de corps, in its general sense as group spirit, is thus what Professor Giddings has tried to express by his somewhat miscon- ceived principle, consciousness of kind.
In mobs or crowds the group spirit manifests itself as an intense collective pride, a very sensitive self-love common to all the members, and a mutual sympathy which feels the interest of each to be the interest of all. The formation of such a spirit may be clearly seen, for instance, in temporary congresses.
But the true bond between the members of a group is their conformity to a tra- ditional type. This conformity expresses itself chiefly in manner and in dress. Through the propensity to imitate innovations, on the one hand, and traditional forms, on the other, we get the two general kinds of groups, the transient and the permanent, giving rise to the two corresponding general types of group spirit, or esprit de corps.
The group spirit has evervTvhere two important aspects, viz., the harsh external aspect presented to the stranger and the dissenter, and the gentle, internal aspect of reciprocal devotion among the members of the group. The one leads to violence and intolerance, especially in the party spirit, the mob spirit, and the sectarian spirit ; the other to tenderness, consideration, and mutual just dealing, as especially in the family spirit. The latter, indeed, is the great force working to soften and broaden all types of the group spirit.
In all social groups which have a complete history we find three phases of devel- opment marked by corresponding transformations in manners and dress.
I. The period or phase of formation of the group spirit is characterized by the development of (l) a distinct group ceremonial; (2) a distinct uniform or costume; and (3), in case the harsh aspect of the group spirit predominates, by the use of the boycott. A strong intensive spirit is thus produced.
II. The phase of dissemination follows. The severe boycott of trade union, church, nation, or civilization — ^. ;?'., strikes, excommunications, closed ports, etc. — gradually yields, through the increase of commerce, communication, and mutual acquaintance, to arbitrations, religious toleration, and "open-door" policies.
A similar transformation takes place in the distinctive group costumes and ceremonies : e. £., from the varied national costumes and manners of the Middle Ages to the common European customs of daily dress and manners in our own time ; from the peculiar costumes and privileges of the mediaeval artisan, servant, and noble, to the mere badge or mannerism that marks their descendants today. The principle of this transformation is that, as the commercial and social isolation and estrangement of groups, necessitating sharp signs of distinction, decrease, the dress or ceremony ceases to be directly useful, and becomes symbolic of a traditional group spirit. The transformation takes place in two ways: (l) the number of occasions for using the distinctive dress or ceremony diminishes, and (2) their elaborateness is reduced, often to a fragment — a ribbon or pin.
III. The third phase of the development succeeds in the reintegration of the
- f?^o«;> .t^/riV, by its broader adaptation to far-reaching social purposes. — G. Tarde,
" L'esprit de groupe," in Archives d'Anthropologie criminelle,]a.r\udLTy 15, 1900.
