The Individual
And
His/Her Community
Possible Attitudes
EXTREME REALISM
----
communal structures and organizations of
various kinds are realities in their own right, to which the individuals may
relate, for better or worse.
E.g.
TOTALISM
And/or
COLLECTIVISM
Or,
by reaction
ANARCHISM
And
REBELLION
EXTREME NOMINALISM
---- not realities in their own
right
---- just names for convenient
associations
SOCIAL
ATOMISM
Or
INDIVIDUALISM
MODERATE REALISM
----
not realities in their own right
----
but there is still a basis in reality for our use of such
terms
What kind of basis?
1.
Human beings are intrinsically
relational
2.
We would not be what we are, therefore,
apart from the membership in the various overlapping groups to which we belong
3.
Some of the more important of these
groups are such as to have a kind of survival value, to tend to maintain their
'identities' through changes of the elements (though not totally)
4.
This is aided by place, buildings,
documents, 'institutions' etc.
5.
Habit and natural environment also have
an influence
6.
Structures and forms of organization
tend to take on a kind of independent causal operation - but this need not mean
that there is anything more than parts-in-their-togetherness??