Consciousness of Kind Among University Students

Abstract

TUDENTS of society are in general agreement articulate speech, and, what Professor Giddings calls, consciousness of kind raise human association high above of swarms and herds. In animal societies, individuals act alike, but do not know they act alike. Humans with this consciousness capacity to name likenesses and differ-. ences. Within human society individuals retain membership in great group established by common human likeness, but at same time they enter into smaller social forms based upon recognized likenesses and differences, special to different individuals according to their capacity to comunicate such distinctive attributes to one another. ' Professor Giddings of opinion, therefore, without this consciousness of kind specialized human society would never been possible. He defines consciousness of kind as the awareness of resemblances and differences by resembling individuals.2' From this hypothesis he evolves all his social theories. He divides his consciousness of kind into five modes of consciousness which constitute total consciousness of kind.3 (i) Organic sympathy. What he terms as organic sympathy collectively, resembling sensations of resembling individuals, resembling sensations of self and of others who resemble self and accompanying vague feeling of attraction and pleasure. (z) 'Perception of resemblance. The combinatioln of sensations of moment with memories of similar sensations in past, connection of these immediate and memory sensations with objects produced them, constitute beginnings of perception of differences and of resemblances. (3) Reflective sympathy. He designates as reflective sympathy the arisal of perception of resemblance in which reacts upon organic sympathy and converts it into an intelligent sympathy. (4) Affection. What he calls affection supposed to be the result of perception of resemblance and conscious sympathy. (5) Desire for Recognition. This mode of supposedly is subjective consequence of resemblance, including a return of sympathy and affection. Though these modes of consciousness, says he, have been described separately, in reality they are intimately blended, it only by a process of scientific analysis they can be thought of singly. Hence, as a result of above scientific analysis of consciousness of kind, he defines it anew as that pleasurable state of mind which includes organic sympathy, perception of resemblance, conscious or reflective sympathy, affection, and desire for recognition.'4 In keeping with scientific spirit of age, Professor Giddings sought to subject his theory to scientific scrutiny. So he proceeded to test and retest his theory by obtaining information indicative of all modes of consciousness from records made by individual observers. Needless to say, his findings furnished ample evidence in support of his theory, validity of which everyone can verify 1 For detailed discussion read C. A. Ellwood, The Psychology of Human Society, p. 58, seq. 2 Inductive Sociology, p. 62. 3lInductive Sociology, p.9I, seq. Descriptive and Historical Sociology, p. 2-75, seq. 4 Descriptive and Historical Sociology, p. 288. (Quotation abridged.)