Re: The "Group-Entity" Illusion

Chris Wolcomb (jini@hotbot.com)
Wed, 20 Jan 1999 05:24:09 -0000

Frederick Mann said:

>Furthermore, there's a fundamental difference between
>the dots on paper we perceive as a photo/picture and
>the supposed "collection of humans" some call "society."
>That difference lies in the largely fixed relationship
>between the dots on one piece of paper, and the very
>different kinds of "fluid" relationships (or lack of)
>between the individual humans some claim constitute a
>"society."
>

Fred,

For arguments sake, how is a collection of people forming a society any different fundamentally than a collection of cells composing your own body? They do interact in wyas that are highly fluid and dynamic. And those cells are themselves composed of a large and complex mix of molecules who also interact with each other in highly complex and fluid ways - ways which are still only now beginning to understand.

I therefore see no philosophical reason to speak of 'society' as any less fictious as a single 'human' or single 'cell', both of which could just as easily be seen as fictions in the same way that 'society' is a fiction.

Either everything beyond a collection of atoms is fiction, or Ayn Rand is Wrong - pure and simple.

---Chris

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