Mind, Self, and Society (Book)

Mind, Self and Society (original title: Mind, Self and Society) is a work based on the “social psychology” lectures delivered by American social psychologist and philosopher George Herbert Mead at the University of Chicago in 1927–1928 and published posthumously in 1934.

Publication History and Editorial Work

The work was compiled after Mead’s death. Charles Morris undertook the editorial work. The text was constructed from Mead’s lecture notes. In the new edition, typographical errors have been corrected and bibliographic references have been completed. An additional section has been included, providing information on the preparation of the text in the early 1930s. This section, prepared with contributions by Daniel Huebner, offers clarification regarding whether certain expressions in the text are attributable to Mead.

Mead’s Approach and Influence

Mead restores cognitive processes attributed to the mind to the realm of natural action. His approach examines the relationship between behaviorism and social processes. He rejects dichotomies such as individual-society, internal-external, and mind-body, instead arguing that the self emerges through social interaction.

It is noted that Mead’s ideas have had a significant impact on the social sciences. Talcott Parsons did not reference Mead in his early work but later acknowledged this omission. Jürgen Habermas, in his 1981 book The Theory of Communicative Action, refers to Mead’s contribution in the transition to the concept of communicative action. In philosophy, Mead’s views have been examined, and it is indicated that different philosophical traditions in France, Russia, and Germany have shown interest in his thought. Additionally, there has been engagement with Mead’s ideas in theology.

In the introduction to the book, Charles Morris emphasizes the connection between Mead’s ideas and democratic ideals. Mead, together with John Dewey, conducted work on the social foundations of democratic thought. It is also stated that the German contribution to the revival of Mead’s philosophy is viewed in relation to the renewal of democratic ideals in Europe.

Sections

The book consists of four main sections.

Section One: The Social Behaviorist Perspective

Section one addresses the following topics: Social Psychology and Behaviorism, The Behaviorist Meaning of Gestures, The Behaviorist Meaning of Signals, The Rise of Parallelism in Psychology, Parallelism and the Ambiguity of Consciousness, The Behaviorist Program.

Section Two: Mind

This section covers: Wundt and the Concept of the Gesture, Imitation and the Origin of Language, Verbal Gestures and Meaningful Symbols, “Thought, Communication, and Meaningful Symbols,” Meaning, Totality, the Reflective Structure of Intelligence, Behaviorism, Watsonism and Reflection, Behaviorism and Psychological Parallelism, Mind and Symbols, The Relationship of Mind to Response and Environment.

Section Three: Self

Section three examines: The Self and the Organism, The Emergence of the Self, Play, Play Within Groups and the Generalized Other, The Self and the Subjective, The I and the Me, Social Gestures and the Physical Environment, Mind as the Internalization of the Social Process, The I and the Me as Stages of the Self, The Realization of the Self in the Social Environment, Contributions of the I and the Me, The Social Creativity of the Self, A Comparison of Individualistic and Social Theories of the Self.

Section Four: Society

This section addresses: The Foundation of Society: Humans and Insects, The Foundation of Human Society: Humans and Vertebrates, Organism, Society, and Environment, The Functions of Thought and Communication in Social Institutions, Society and Its Institutions, The Unity of the I and the Me in Social Action, Democracy and Universality in Society, A Further Evaluation of Economic and Religious Approaches, The Nature of Sympathy, Conflict and Integration, The Roles of Logic and Personality in Social Organization, Hopes and Obstacles for the Development of an Ideal Society.

About the Author

George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) was an American social psychologist and philosopher. Philosophically situated within the pragmatist tradition, Mead played a key role in the development of social behaviorism. His concepts of the self and his interactionist approach have particularly influenced sociology and social anthropology through the Chicago School.