Commentary on Searle's ‘Social ontology: Some basic principles’

Abstract

In response to Searle's article on social ontology, this commentary focuses on the relation between the concept of culture and Searle's work on institutions. Issues concerning the super-organic property of culture and collectivities, the fusion between ideas and social agreement found in institutions, and the relation of values to institutions are discussed. The constructs culture, society, and personality are deconstructed, revealing the high degree of overlap in the referents of these terms. Finally, a definitional reformulation of these three constructs is presented, treating each as a different kind of process.

Keywords

culture institution ontology personality society theory value

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