Abstract
Take those facts usually called Social Usage, ‘Custom, ’‘Convention, ’ etc. By analysing them, we find, among others, the following attributes:(a) Voluntary behaviour, (b) Mutual imitation, (c) Frequent repetition. We take up those facts which contain these attributes, and give them a provisional name ‘Social Usage’(or simply ‘Usage’). Corollaries to these are-1. Usage requires to be learned and memorized, to be ‘taught’ by environing persons. 2. Usage is fixed in abstract, as compared with each concrete instance of acts. 3. Number of persons who know and act a given Usage is limited, thus making up a ‘Usage-Community.’ cf.‘language (or linguistic) community.’ 4. Usage has a power outside of individuals, an existence that ‘transcends’ individuals.(A warning is here necessary, a warning against a confusion of (a) being outside of, transcending individuals and (b) being outside of, transcending all human being.) 5. Usage is subject to historical change.
Each individual has a memory-idea of a usage. He can realize it in actual behaviour, but a voluntary act can be checked at will, or be replaced by other voluntary acts. We combine in daily life many voluntary acts in order to attain a remote end, (non-voluntary behaviours usually accompany them.) E. g. Catching a street-car (remote end). 1st. I rise up from my seat; 2nd. walk toward the door; 3rd. open the door; etc. etc. Each act is a voluntary one, containing in stself an end and a means (muscular movements). It is, so to speak, a ‘Unit’.
