Persons, language and holism : an inquiry into some issues of the ontology of the social world
The thesis pursued in this dissertation raises and examines a specific philosophical problem, essential to the study of the ontology of the social world. This problem has its origin in the question: 'how is is possible that the social world is constituted as a unified totality or complex whole?'. It is argued that the defining feature of a viable theory of social holism is that it is able to posit this metaphysical kind of problem. In this sense, the holist discourse that provides the terms for expressing the meaningfulness of this problem or the conditions of its legitimacy is, equivalently, an attempt to answer it, giving the form of the social world as an ontological domain. Thus this thesis discloses what is here proposed as the formal ontology of social reality and investigates the cluster of issues relevant to this. The study consists of three related stages (Parts). Part One spells out the formal mode of ontological inquiring and lays down the metatheoretical validity of holism. On the one hand, the principal idea is that the introduction of certain principles of relationality and of the ~moment/whole~ problematic establishes the basis of a non-extensional constitution of the social world; it is essential
Kaldis, Byron
Holism ; Ontology
Persons, language and holism : an inquiry into some issues of the ontology of the social world. The thesis pursued in this dissertation raises and examines a specific philosophical problem, essential to the study of the ontology of the social world. This problem has its origin in the question: 'how is is possible that the social world is constituted as a unified totality or complex whole?'. It is argued that the defining feature of a viable theory of social holism is that it is able to posit this metaphysical kind of problem. In this sense, the holist discourse that provides the terms for expressing the meaningfulness of this problem or the conditions of its legitimacy is, equivalently, an attempt to answer it, giving the form of the social world as an ontological domain. Thus this thesis discloses what is here proposed as the formal ontology of social reality and investigates the cluster of issues relevant to this. The study consists of three related stages (Parts). Part One spells out the formal mode of ontological inquiring and lays down the metatheoretical validity of holism. On the one hand, the principal idea is that the introduction of certain principles of relationality and of the ~moment/whole~ problematic establishes the basis of a non-extensional constitution of the social world; it is essential
persons language inquiry issue ontology social world pursue raise examines specific philosophical_problem essential study ontology social world problem origin question how possible social_world constitute unified totality complex whole argue define_feature viable theory social able posit metaphysical kind problem sense discourse provide term express meaningfulness problem condition legitimacy attempt_answer give form social_world ontological domain thus propose formal ontology social reality investigates cluster issue relevant this study_consist related stage parts part_one spell formal mode ontological lay validity one_hand principal idea introduction certain principle relationality moment whole problematic establishes basis non extensional constitution social_world essential