“The Nature of Social Systems: A Speculation” David Harvey, School of Agriculture, Food & Rural...

“The Nature of Social Systems:

A Speculation”

David Harvey,School of Agriculture, Food & Rural Development

University of Newcastle.Based on: “A conjecture on the nature of social systems”,

21st Century Society, Vol. 3, No. 1, 87 – 108, February 2008

“The Nature of Social Systems:

A Speculation”

David Harvey,School of Agriculture, Food & Rural Development

University of Newcastle.Based on: “A conjecture on the nature of social systems”,

21st Century Society, Vol. 3, No. 1, 87 – 108, February 2008

The problem (1)The problem (1)Lack of coherence between social sciences:

“There remains a common theme for a science of human society, and that while much progress has been made in developing its various facets and aspects, it is still important to try and tie the parts together - not in search of a ‘world formula’ but to make sense of the social habitat in which we live, have lived and are likely to live”. (Dahrendof, 1995) “Postmodernism is the antithesis of the Anglo-American analytical thesis. Out of the resulting dialectical synthesis, however, an enriched new philosophy of science could emerge” (Tweeten & Zulaf, 1999)

Social Science must believe there to be underlying patterns (& hence systematics) to social behaviour - SO WHAT MIGHT THE SYNTHESIS OR COMMON THEME LOOK LIKE?

Lack of coherence between social sciences:

“There remains a common theme for a science of human society, and that while much progress has been made in developing its various facets and aspects, it is still important to try and tie the parts together - not in search of a ‘world formula’ but to make sense of the social habitat in which we live, have lived and are likely to live”. (Dahrendof, 1995) “Postmodernism is the antithesis of the Anglo-American analytical thesis. Out of the resulting dialectical synthesis, however, an enriched new philosophy of science could emerge” (Tweeten & Zulaf, 1999)

Social Science must believe there to be underlying patterns (& hence systematics) to social behaviour - SO WHAT MIGHT THE SYNTHESIS OR COMMON THEME LOOK LIKE?

The problem (2)The problem (2)

•What framework to conceptualise, and so analyse social systems?

• What, exactly, are our “institutions” (rules, codes and habits) & where do they come from?

• What, exactly, are our “negotiation & communications” systems?

• How might social science develop a language & story for genuine trade in ideas & concepts?

•What framework to conceptualise, and so analyse social systems?

• What, exactly, are our “institutions” (rules, codes and habits) & where do they come from?

• What, exactly, are our “negotiation & communications” systems?

• How might social science develop a language & story for genuine trade in ideas & concepts?

A ConjectureA Conjecture

• Social systems exist & evolve

• But, not as natural systems – our rules for survival & replication are endogenous

–> as our governance rules & institutions

Their principal raison d’etre is to: “select for and condition behaviour patterns and responses for best fit with the existing community socio-ecosystem, socio-political climate and socio-economic environment.”

• Social systems exist & evolve

• But, not as natural systems – our rules for survival & replication are endogenous

–> as our governance rules & institutions

Their principal raison d’etre is to: “select for and condition behaviour patterns and responses for best fit with the existing community socio-ecosystem, socio-political climate and socio-economic environment.”


• Social Institutions evolve simply in the sense that the ‘best fitted’ survive, persist (replicate) at the expense of those which ‘don’t fit’

• So, should exhibit recognisable Phyla

• -> A taxonomy of social systems? As our extant Social Science disciplines (SSd)

• Otherwise, why are they so persistent?

• SSd represent the principal axes of the human condition, reflecting the major phyla of human interaction & communication patterns?

• Social Institutions evolve simply in the sense that the ‘best fitted’ survive, persist (replicate) at the expense of those which ‘don’t fit’

• So, should exhibit recognisable Phyla

• -> A taxonomy of social systems? As our extant Social Science disciplines (SSd)

• Otherwise, why are they so persistent?

• SSd represent the principal axes of the human condition, reflecting the major phyla of human interaction & communication patterns?


• Boulding (‘73) & de la Mothe & Paquet (‘96) [echoed by Strange (‘94)] suggest principal transactions:

• Gifts from those who love us (‘consent’)• Tributes from those who fear us (‘coercion’)• Exchange with those willing to trade (‘contract’)

• + habit – ‘convention’, and also, of course, ‘cognition’ and ‘communication’

• Need a ‘common story’ for the emergence of authority – our rules. Are consent, coercion, contract and convention all we have?

• We had better start at the beginning – with life.

• Boulding (‘73) & de la Mothe & Paquet (‘96) [echoed by Strange (‘94)] suggest principal transactions:

• Gifts from those who love us (‘consent’)• Tributes from those who fear us (‘coercion’)• Exchange with those willing to trade (‘contract’)

• + habit – ‘convention’, and also, of course, ‘cognition’ and ‘communication’

• Need a ‘common story’ for the emergence of authority – our rules. Are consent, coercion, contract and convention all we have?

• We had better start at the beginning – with life.

A ConjectureA ConjectureInstitution

TypeCharacter Response Result

Transaction System

Motives

Natural Mind RespondAdapt &Adjust

Food & gene chains

Life



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life

Tribe Care ReplyHunt & Gather

Consent Love



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love

Community Recognise Relate Cultivate &

TameCognition Inference



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love



Society Rationalise ReasonInvent &

ReconstructCare Charity



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love





Economy Expect RelySpecialise &

TradeContract Trade



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love






TradeContract Trade

‘Ocracy CoerceDemand &

RevereInstitute &Regulate

Coercion Fear

State ConcedeRespect & Reign

Govern & Preach

Convention Habit



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love






TradeContract Trade



Coercion Fear


Govern & Preach

Convention Habit

Empire Question Re-searchExhort &Display

Commitment Hope



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love






TradeContract Trade



Coercion Fear


Govern & Preach

Convention Habit


Commitment Hope

Civilisation Imagine Re-createSchool &

TrainCuriosity Fun



Transaction System

Motives


Food & gene chains

Life


Consent Love






TradeContract Trade



Coercion Fear


Govern & Preach

Convention Habit


Commitment Hope


TrainCuriosity Fun

Culture Believe TrustCommune & Cohere

Charity Faith



Transaction System

Motives Discipline


Food & gene chains

Life Ecology


ConsentLove Anth’pology


TameCognition Inference Psychology


ReconstructCare Charity Sociology


TradeContract Trade Economics



Coercion Fear Law


Govern & Preach

Convention Habit Politics


Commitment Hope Humanities


TrainCuriosity Fun Education


Charity Faith Aesthetics



Transaction System

Motives Discipline


Food & gene chains

Life(death)

Ecology


Consent(sentient)

Love(hate)

Anth’pology


TameCognition

(Investigative)Inference(instinct)

Psychology


ReconstructCare

(Social)Charity(bigotry)

Sociology


TradeContract

(Enterprising)Trade

(autarchy)Economics



Coercion(Conventional)

Fear(security)

Law


Govern & Preach

Convention(Realistic)

Habit(anarchy)

Politics


Commitment(Curious)

Hope(despair)

Humanities


TrainCuriosity(Artistic)

Fun(spite)

Education


Charity(Aesthetic)

Faith(distrust)

Aesthetics

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ImplicationsImplications

• Principal balance is between self-interest and the public or social interest – e.g Hofstede’s Individual/Collective.

• Self interest is roughly characterised by Maslow’s heirarchy:

• Principal balance is between self-interest and the public or social interest – e.g Hofstede’s Individual/Collective.

• Self interest is roughly characterised by Maslow’s heirarchy:


•Social/Public interest is not so well defined in the literature, but:

• Efficiency and Effectiveness is basic

• Justice and Equity follow

• Coherence and Sustainability are aspirations

•Social/Public interest is not so well defined in the literature, but:

• Efficiency and Effectiveness is basic

• Justice and Equity follow

• Coherence and Sustainability are aspirations

ConclusionsConclusions

• charity in our rules, lest we be mistaken;

• hope in our reason, to be veracious & valid;

• faith in our beliefs about the world’s works

Sophists of ancient Greece mediated the transition from an age of myth to an age of practical reason. However: ‘In such critical circumstances, the philosophical denial of absolute values and sophistical condemnation of stark opportunism seemed both to reflect and to exacerbate the problematic spirit of the times’ (Tarnas, 1991, p. 29).

Are we caught now in a similar cusp between our age of practical reason and a future age of sustainable social rationality?

• charity in our rules, lest we be mistaken;

• hope in our reason, to be veracious & valid;

• faith in our beliefs about the world’s works

Sophists of ancient Greece mediated the transition from an age of myth to an age of practical reason. However: ‘In such critical circumstances, the philosophical denial of absolute values and sophistical condemnation of stark opportunism seemed both to reflect and to exacerbate the problematic spirit of the times’ (Tarnas, 1991, p. 29).

Are we caught now in a similar cusp between our age of practical reason and a future age of sustainable social rationality?

“The Nature of Social Systems: A Speculation” David Harvey, School of Agriculture, Food & Rural...

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