FORMALISM AND DISORGANIZATION THE NATURE OF FORMALISM -- ITS EFFECTS UPON PERSONALITY --FORMALISM IN MODERN LIFE -- DISORGANIZATION， "INDIVIDUALISM" -- HOW ITAFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL -- RELATION TO FORMALISM -- "INDIVIDUALISM" IMPLESDEFECTIVE SYMPATHY -- CONTEMPORARY "INDIVIDUALISM" -- RESTLESSNESS UNDERDISCOMFORT -- THE BETTER ASPECT OF DISORGANIZATIONToo much mechanism in society gives us something for which there are many names， slightly different in meaning， as institutionalism， formalism， traditionalism， conventionalism， ritualism， bureaucracy and the like. It is by no means easy， however， to determine whether mechanism is in excess or not. It becomes an evil， no doubt， when it interferes with growth and adaptation， when it suppresses individuality and stupefies or misdirects the energies of human nature. But just when this is the case is likely not to be clear until the occasion is long past and we can see the matter in the perspective of history.
Thus， in religion， it is well that men should adhere to the creeds and ritual worked out in the past for spiritual edification， so long as these do， on the whole， fulfil their function； and it is hard to fix the time梟ot the same for different churches， classes or individuals梬hen they cease to do this. But it is certain that they die， in time， like all tissue， and if not cleared away presently rot.
It has been well said that formalism is "an excess of the crgan of language."*The aim of all organization is (343) to express human nature， and it does this through a system of symbols， which are the embodiment and vehicle of the idea. So long as spirit and symbol are vitally united and the idea is really conveyed， all is well， but so fast as they are separated the symbol becomes an empty shell， to which， however， custom， pride or interest may still cling. It then supplants rather than conveys the reality.
Underlying all formalism， indeed， is the fact that it is psychically cheap； it substitutes the outer for the inner as more tangible， more capable of being held before the mind without fresh expense of thought and feeling， more easily extended， therefore， and impressed upon the multitude. Thus in our own architecture or literature we have innumerable cheap， unfelt repetitions of forms that were significant and beautiful in their time and place.
The effect of formalism upon personality is to starve its Nigher life and leave it the prey of apathy， self-complacency， sensuality and the lower nature in general. A formalized religion and a formalized freedom are， notoriously， the congenial dwelling-place of depravity and oppression.
When a system of this sort is thoroughly established， as in the case of the later Roman Empire， it confines the individual mind as in a narrow cage by supplying it with only one sort of suggestions. The variation of ideas and the supplanting of old types by new can begin only by individuals getting hold of suggestions that conflict with those of the ruling system；and in the absence of this an old type may go on reproducing itself indefinitely， indi-(344)-viduals seeming no more to it than the leaves of a tree， which drop in the autumn and in the spring are replaced by others indistinguishable from them. It "breeds true" on the same principle that wild pigeons， long kept to a fixed type by natural limitations， are less variable than]
domestic species， in whose recent past there have been elements of change.
Among the Hindoos， for instance， a child is brought up] from infancy in subjection to ceremonies and rites which stamp upon him the impression of a fixed and immemorial system. They control the most minute details of his life， and leave little room for choice either on his part or that of his parents. There is no attempt to justify tradition by reason： custom as such is obligatory.
Intolerance goes very naturally with formalism， since to a mind in the unresisted grasp of a fixed system of thought anything that departs from that system must appear irrational and absurd. The lowest Chinaman unaffectedly despises the foreigner， of whatever rank， as a vulgar barbarian， just as Christians used to despise the Jews， and the Jews， in their time， the Samaritans.
Tolerance comes in along with peaceful discussion， when there is a competition of various ways of thinking， no one of which is strong enough to suppress the others.
In America and western Europe at the present day there is a great deal of formalism， but it is， on the whole， of a partial and secondary character， existing rather from the inadequacy of vital force than as a ruling principle.
The general state of thought favors adaptation， because we are used to it and have found it on the whole beneficial.
(345) We expect， for example， that a more vital and flexible ； form of organization will supplant the rigid systems of Russia and the Orient， and whatever in our own world is analogous to these.
But dead mechanism is too natural a product of human conditions not to exist at all times， and we may easily find it to-day in the church， in politics， in education， industry and philanthropy； wherever there is a lack of vital thought and sentiment to keep the machinery pliant to its work.
Thus our schools， high and low， exhibit a great deal of it. Routine methods， here as everywhere， are a device for turning out cheap work in large quantities， and the temptation to use them， in the ease of a teacher who has too much to do， or is required to do that which he does not understand or believe in， is almost irresistible. Indeed， they are too frequently inculcated by principals and training schools， in contempt of the fact that the one essential thing in real teaching is a personal expression between teacher and pupil. Drill is easy for one who has got the knack of it， just because it requires nothing vital or personal， but is a convenient appliance for getting the business done with an appearance of success and little trouble to any one.
