Background

Cooley's great reputation as a sociologist rests chiefly upon three works: Human Nature and the Social Order, Social Organization, and Social Process. Cooley developed a theory of social relations in which neither the individual nor the group was given precedence, but in which both were seen as indispensable and complementary to one another. Cooley, following William James and James Mark Baldwin, saw communication between minds as the essence of social relations. He pointed out that man responds to what he conceives other persons to be rather than to what they are. His extreme statement of this position has not been followed, but his emphasis upon the importance of people's concepts of one another was a pioneering contribution that has been very suggestive to later students.

Although Cooley is known for his theories regarding the self, human nature, the "primary groups" in which human nature is developed, the interaction of leaders and the masses in public opinion, class and caste, and the social significance of pecuniary valuation, he is one whose importance cannot be gauged by a catalogue of such contributions. His work is all of one piece, although it does not constitute a formal system. Grasping a few essential principles, he patiently explored their meaning and application in the whole realm of social life, explaining concepts heretofore considered obscure. His work, therefore, remains a sound source to which students go for orientation and inspiration.