Social Reality | Philosophy Talk

Money, debutante balls, universities, even nations—each of these is in some sense a shared illusion, a social reality rooted in certain conventions and ... 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SearchformSearchSocialReality‹PreviousNext›Sunday,May20,2012SocietyCivilizationRealityRightsGovernmentCitizenshipFirstAired: Sunday,August1,2010WhatIsItFewthingsaffectourlivesasmuchasthefactthatwearecitizensofonecountryratherthananother. Thegovernmentof,theeconomyof,andtherightsrecognizedandopportunitiesprovidedbythecountryweliveinshapeourlives. Buthowrealareanyofthesefactsandthings? Withouthumanbeliefs,andsocietiesofhumans,therewouldbenostates,nofactsofcitizenship,nomoney,andfewopportunities. Areourlivesbuiltonontologicalfluff? KenandJohndiscussthemetaphysicsofthesocialwithfamedphilosopherJohnSearle,authorofMakingtheSocialWorld:TheStructureofHumanCivilization.Thisprogramwasrecordedlive attheMarshtheatreinBerkeley.ListeningNotesMoney,debutanteballs,universities,evennations—eachoftheseisinsomesenseasharedillusion,asocialrealityrootedincertainconventionsandrules.Suchsocialrealitiescandictatehowweviewtheworldaroundusand,inturn,influenceourchoicesanddecisions.Giventheimportanceofsocialrealities,JohnandKendiscusshowisitpossibleforhumanstobringsuchthingsintobeingsimplythroughagreeingthattheyexist.Johnproposesthatsocialrealitiesariseoutofthenaturalworld,butKenexpresseshisdoubtsaboutJohn’sreductionism.JohnSearlejoinsthediscussionandproposesthatsocialrealitiesexistpreciselybecausewerepresentthemasexisting,bothinourmindsandthroughtheuseofspeechacts.InSearle’sview,wheneverthereisastructuredprocedurewithasetofstandardexpectations—fromsessionsofCongresstofraternityparties—thereisthepotentialforcreatingasocialreality.Kenquestionsthenecessityoflanguageinthisprocess,wonderingifotheranimalsmightpossesscruderformsofsocialrealitiesthroughcommonmentalrepresentations.Searlestressesthatourabilitiestoassignfunctionstoobjectsandtoobeyconventionsthatgoagainstourimmediateinclinationsseemtoseparateusfromotheranimals.Thesehumancapacitiesallowustodelegatepowers,duties,andrightstoindividualsorinstitutions,givingourmentalrepresentationspracticalgroundingsinthesocialsphere.Humancivilizationhaschangedoverthecourseofitsexistence,andwiththesechangesonceubiquitoussocialrealitieshavevanishedandnewoneshaverisenuptoreplacethem.Thetrioconsidersthepossiblesocialrealitiesofthefuture,aswellasthecomplexwaysinwhichsocialinstitutionsalterourlivesandarethenalteredbyourevaluationsofthem.Themosteffectiveinstitutions,Searleargues,don’topenlybroadcastthefactthattheyaresociallyconstructedatall.RovingPhilosophicalReporter (seekto6:17):ZoeCornelitalkswithsatiristMerleKessler(pennameIanShoales)abouthowwecreateourparticularrealitiesbasedonthecommunitiesinwhichweparticipate.Earlierinhumanhistory,peopletendedtoidentifywithandhenceparticipateincommunitiesbasedontheirgeographicallocationandsocialstatus,buttheInternetandothertechnologicalinnovationshaveallowedustoparticipateincommunitiesbasedonsharedinterestsandpast-times.Shoalesconsidersthefutureofthesetrends,pointingoutthatthemodernphenomenaofchatroomsandsocialnetworkingsitesstemfromanaturaldesiretobelong.60-SecondPhilosopher (seekto49:40):IanShoalesdiscussesthecontroversialremarksofAfghanipresidentHamidKarzai,whethergovernmentofficialscanspeakaccuratelyonbehalfoftheircountries’citizens,andthedifficultiesoflivinglifeonthefringesoftheso-calledinternationalcommunity.TranscriptGetPhilosophyTalkRadioSundayat11am (Pacific)on KALW 91.7FM,SanFrancisco,andrebroadcastonmanyotherstationsnationwidePodcastFullepisodedownloadsviaAppleMusicandabbreviatedepisodes(PhilosophyTalkStarters)viaApplePodcasts,Spotify,andStitcher UnlimitedListeningSUBSCRIBENOWBuytheEpisodeGuestJohnSearle,MillsProfessorofthePhilosophyofMindandLanguage,UniversityofCaliforniaBerkeleyRelatedBlogsSocialRealityJul29,2010Our topicthisweekissocialrealities. ImustadmitthatwhenIfirstbroughtthenatureofsocialrealityupasatopicforanepisodeofPhilosophyTalk,thenon-philosophersonourteamallwent “huh?”  Thatphraseobviouslydoesn’tmeanmuchtothepersononthestreet. But socialrealitiesareallaroundus. Thinkofcocktailparties,footballgames,barmitzvahs,politicalrallies,andevennations. Theseareallsocialrealities. RelatedResourcesBerker,P.andT.Luckmann(1967).TheSocialConstructionofReality.Koepsell,D.andL.Moss(2003),eds.JohnSearle’sIdeasAboutSocialReality:Extensions,Criticisms,andReconstructions.Lewis,D.(2008).Convention:APhilosophicalStudy.Miller,S.“SocialInstitutions.”StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy: Searle,J.(2010).MakingtheSocialWorld:TheStructureofHumanCivilization.(1997).TheConstructionofSocialReality.Smith,B.(2003).“JohnSearle:FromSpeechActstoSocialReality.”(download.pdf)BonusContentComments(1)HaroldG.NeumanSaturday,March12,2022--8:06AMInresearchingthesubjectInresearchingthesubject(reality)andtheshowsdevotedtoit,itwasfoundthatrealityexistsinmanyforms.Asthatisthecase,itisafertiletopic.IhavesomefamiliaritywithSearleandhiswork.Andahintofthelevels-of-realityalsomentionedintheblogarchive.IhaveheardSearlebothpraisedandreviled.,Amnotreallyinterestedineitherstanceorreasonstherefor.Hesystematizedsocialfoundationsforonesortofreality,andwroteandlecturedabouthisfindingsandtheses.Nothingwrongwiththat.Someoneelsecouldhavedoneaswell.So,realityismuchliketruth.Itmaybeself-evident;foundormade.Whetherthefoundand/ormadevarietiesareusefuldependsonwhobelievesthem;whethertherearestakeholders;and,moreover,whethertherearelargesumsofmoneyinvolved.Allofthesecriterianeednotbemet,butitsuredoeshelp.Religiousbeliefsandpoliticalideologiesare,generally,foundormade.Somemayclaimthatdemocracyisa'natural'state,butanybeliefaboutitisultimatelybasedonfreedomandself-determination---Isubmitthesewerefoundand/ormade;neverweretheyself-evident.And,whicheverthecase,thosewhoclaimself-evidence,probablyhadvestedinterests,apriori.IhaveassertedsomethingIcallcontextualreality.Thisaccountsfor,encompassesmostofSearles'designations.Italsotakesintoconsiderationmassandpopularcultureandtheoppressivepandemiaofextremism,underwhichsomefeelcompelledtorisklifeandlimb,inordertogaingroupacceptance(nofear!).Contextualrealityis,Iclaim,foreverchangingandeminentlychangeable.Ialsothink,thoughhavenomeansofproof,thatJohnSearles'ideasstokedadmirersanddetractorsalike,andthatheknew,atleastintuitivelythattheywoulddoso..Hisadmirerswereagents-of-changethemselves,believingweshouldknowallwecouldknowaboutsocietalchange---howandwhyithappens.Thedetractors,statusquoseekers,fearedsocialchangeandupheaval,knowingfurtherthatsuchforcescouldbeunpredictableanddisruptive.Itwasnotthefirsttimeaphilosopherhadscaredpeople.Well.Youmaybelieveasyouwill.Weareintheageofcontextualreality.Postmodernismisoneoutcomeofthatdiaspora.Extremistviewsandrecklessnessareothers.Thanks.I'vereadandagreetoabidebytheCommunityGuidelinesLoginorregistertopostcommentsLoginorregistertopostcommentsUsernameoremail*Password*CreatenewaccountRequestnewpasswordUpcomingShows02October2022ClimateChangeandCollectiveActionCatastrophicstorms,floods,droughts,andfiresareincreasinginfrequencyallovertheglobe,andthepolaricecapsaremeltingtwiceasfastas...09October2022IstheSelfanIllusion?Mostofusthinkit’sobviousthatwehaveaself,butfamously,bothBuddhismandBritishphilosopherDavidHumeareskepticalthatsuchathing...16October2022LibertyandJusticeforWho?Manydemocraciesarefoundedontheidealsof18th-and19th-CenturyBritishLiberalism:theideathathumanbeingsdeservetherighttoself-...SeeMoreGetPhilosophyTalkRadioSundayat11am (Pacific)on KALW 91.7FM,SanFrancisco,andrebroadcastonmanyotherstationsnationwidePodcastFullepisodedownloadsviaAppleMusicandabbreviatedepisodes(PhilosophyTalkStarters)viaApplePodcasts,Spotify,andStitcher UnlimitedListeningSUBSCRIBENOW BuytheEpisode ListentothePreview GuestJohnSearle,MillsProfessorofthePhilosophyofMindandLanguage,UniversityofCaliforniaBerkeley RelatedBlogsSocialRealityJul29,2010Our topicthisweekissocialrealities. ImustadmitthatwhenIfirstbroughtthenatureofsocialrealityupasatopicforanepisodeofPhilosophyTalk,thenon-philosophersonourteamallwent “huh?”  Thatphraseobviouslydoesn’tmeanmuchtothepersononthestreet. But socialrealitiesareallaroundus. Thinkofcocktailparties,footballgames,barmitzvahs,politicalrallies,andevennations. Theseareallsocialrealities.  RelatedResourcesBerker,P.andT.Luckmann(1967).TheSocialConstructionofReality.Koepsell,D.andL.Moss(2003),eds.JohnSearle’sIdeasAboutSocialReality:Extensions,Criticisms,andReconstructions.Lewis,D.(2008).Convention:APhilosophicalStudy.Miller,S.“SocialInstitutions.”StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy: Searle,J.(2010).MakingtheSocialWorld:TheStructureofHumanCivilization.(1997).TheConstructionofSocialReality.Smith,B.(2003).“JohnSearle:FromSpeechActstoSocialReality.”(download.pdf) BonusContent UpcomingShows02October2022ClimateChangeandCollectiveActionCatastrophicstorms,floods,droughts,andfiresareincreasinginfrequencyallovertheglobe,andthepolaricecapsaremeltingtwiceasfastas...09October2022IstheSelfanIllusion?Mostofusthinkit’sobviousthatwehaveaself,butfamously,bothBuddhismandBritishphilosopherDavidHumeareskepticalthatsuchathing...16October2022LibertyandJusticeforWho?Manydemocraciesarefoundedontheidealsof18th-and19th-CenturyBritishLiberalism:theideathathumanbeingsdeservetherighttoself-...SeeMore