The intensity of radiation, stimulated by laser pulses of arbitrary shape, is derived up to fourth-order terms. It is shown that there is a linear fourth-order mechanism of emission that depends on linear susceptibilities of molecules. This linear mechanism reveals collective, super-radiant features. The intensity of laser-driven spontaneous emission (LDSE) is proportional to for samples smaller than , where is a wavelength of emitted radiation, and N is the number of molecules. For extended volumes , the intensity of LDSE is proportional to . Equations of motion describing collective radiation damping are derived.