The Social and the Individual: Reduction without Identity



• The Social and the Individual: Reduction without Identity

  Item Type	Journal Article
  Author	Peter Baumann
  Abstract	This paper explores the relationship between social and individual phenomena, advocating for a form of analytical individualism that incorporates both ontological and explanatory holism. The first part of the paper addresses foundational ontological questions, arguing for the reduction of social facts to individual behaviors without equating them in identity. In the second part, the discussion focuses on collective intentionality, particularly through a critical examination of John Searle’s account. I argue that while collective intentionality offers useful insights into the nature of social institutions, it faces principled limitations when applied to broader social phenomena. The paper ultimately supports a non-identifying reductive individualism, which recognizes the social as grounded in individual actions while avoiding simplistic reductions. This approach, I contend, provides a more coherent framework for understanding the complex interaction between individual and social processes, as well as the ontological status of social facts.
  Date	2024
  Language	English
  Rights	© 2024 Aletheia - Associação Científica e Cultural
  Volume	80
  Pages	1027-1048
  Publication	Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia
  DOI	10.17990/RPF/2024_80_3_1027
  Issue	3
  ISSN	0870-5283 ; 2183-461X
  Date Added	10/30/2024, 8:54:34 PM
  Modified	10/30/2024, 9:18:05 PM

  Tags:

  • analytical individualism, collective intentionality, ontology, reductionism, social facts, social ontology.

  Notes:

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