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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Series | Book | Chapter

179452

Social objects without intentions

Brian Epstein

pp. 53-68

Abstract

It is often seen as a truism that social objects and facts are the product of human intentions. I argue that the role of intentions in social ontology is commonly overestimated. I introduce a distinction that is implicit in much discussion of social ontology, but is often overlooked: between a social entity's "grounds" and its "anchors." For both, I argue that intentions, either individual or collective, are less essential than many theorists have assumed. Instead, I propose a more worldly—and less intellectualist—approach to social ontology.

Publication details

Published in:

Konzelmann-Ziv Anita, Schmid Hans Bernhard (2014) Institutions, emotions, and group agents: contributions to social ontology. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 53-68

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-6934-2_4

Full citation:

Epstein Brian (2014) „Social objects without intentions“, In: A. Konzelmann-Ziv & H.B. Schmid (eds.), Institutions, emotions, and group agents, Dordrecht, Springer, 53–68.