Beyond the opposition of individual and society, Part 1: Acknowledging the constitutive social function of being an individual and ‘de-totalizing’ the idea of ‘society’

Abstract

This is the first part of our final assessment of the problem of ‘individual and society.’ ¹ Against a brief sketch of the role of individualistic and universalistic theories and practices in the West the relation between the ‘social’ and the ‘individual’ is reconsidered, followed by a brief characterisation of the fundamental difference between animal and human functioning. By exploring the notion of elementary basic concepts further — introduced in the previous two articles — the complex (modal totality) concepts of sociology as a discipline are now considered — with particular reference to a classification of different ways of social interaction (classified in coordinational, communal and collective social relationships) as well as the complex nature of a principle. The concluding part of this article focuses on those systematic considerations and distinctions that are crucial for our aim to arrive at a position where the untenability of the traditional opposition between individual and society is transcended. The second part of our assessment will investigate the contributions of Sztompka, Habermas and Giddens before the ‘category-mistake’ in the said opposition is elucidated.

Keywords:

• Individualism
• holism
• life-world
• complex basic concepts
• communal and coordinational relationships
• differentiated social identities

See Society in Transition. 2002;33(1): 96–115 and Society in Transition, 2004, 35(1): 165–182.

See Society in Transition. 2002;33(1): 96–115 and Society in Transition, 2004, 35(1): 165–182.

Notes

See Society in Transition. 2002;33(1): 96–115 and Society in Transition, 2004, 35(1): 165–182.