Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site spar.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!decwrl!spar!baba From: baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Explorations of "social-interest": Origins of Human Society Message-ID: <383@spar.UUCP> Date: Fri, 5-Jul-85 18:02:49 EDT Article-I.D.: spar.383 Posted: Fri Jul 5 18:02:49 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 11-Jul-85 20:13:25 EDT References: <657@whuxl.UUCP> <2380051@acf4.UUCP> <373@spar.UUCP> <321@kontron.UUCP> Organization: Schlumberger Palo Alto Research, CA Lines: 25 > > > Human beings are individals. They form societies for mutual benefit, > > > i.e., to facilitate achievement of their individual goals. > > > > > > Mike Sykora > > > > Can you cite a single instance of a lasting human society (not a club > > or other special-interest organization) being formed by the rational > > agreement of otherwise atomic human beings? If not, on what basis are > > you making this assertion? There is disagreement among anthropologists > > about how human societies form and develop, but it would appear that man > > is an *instinctively* social animal. Do you have evidence to the contrary? > > > > Baba > > Plymouth Compact. The original government of Rhode Island. > > Those come right off the top of my head. > > Clayton Cramer You should dig deeper, then. The parties to the cited agreements were already socialized in English culture, with established and agreed-upon notions of individual and familial obligation, commerce, and common law. Baba