The New State · Chapter
X: Society explained
This chapter redefines society as a psychic process of interpenetrating forces, rejecting both the old individualism and the organic theory of society.
What happens
This chapter redefines society as a psychic process of interpenetrating forces, rejecting both the old individualism and the organic theory of society. It emphasizes that the social bond is psychic, not biological, and that individuals can freely detach and attach themselves to multiple groups, preserving their unique identity while blending with others. This freedom is essential for true democracy, where each individual can be a complete expression of the whole.
Themes in this chapter
Critique of Individualism and Particularism
The chapter rejects the old individualism and its political fallacies, such as the social contract and majority rule.
Integration of Occupational and Neighborhood Groups
The individual's freedom to enter different groups with different functions illustrates the integration of multiple group affiliations.
Rejection of Crowd Psychology and Mass Rule
The chapter opposes the organic theory's hierarchical implications and emphasizes the psychic, non-physical nature of social bonds.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The narrator presents the critique of individualism and the organic theory, advocating for a psychic conception of society.
- We the People
Referenced as the collective that experiences the psychic process of society and the freedom to relate to multiple groups.
- William James
Cited for showing the individual as a self-unifying centre, which is extended to the social mind.
Key passages
“We have seen that the interpenetrating of psychic forces creates at the same time individuals and society, that, therefore, the individual is not a unit but a centre of forces (both centripetal and centrifugal), and consequently society is not a collection of units but a complex of radiating and converging, crossing and recrossing energies.”
Psychic forces simultaneously shape both individuals and society; individuals are not isolated units but centers of forces, and society is a dynamic network of interacting energies.
This introduces the core idea of society as a psychic process.
“Minds can blend, yet in the blending preserve each its own identity. They transfuse one another while being each its own essential and unique self.”
Individuals can merge their minds with others without losing their distinctiveness, each remaining unique while sharing in a collective experience.
Highlights the psychic nature of social bonds and the preservation of individuality.
“This self-detaching, self-attaching freedom of the individual saves us from the danger to democracy which lurks in the organic theory.”
The ability of individuals to freely join and leave groups protects democracy from the hierarchical dangers of the organic theory.
Emphasizes the democratic importance of individual freedom in group affiliation.