From: Sarah Marr (sarah.marr@dial.pipex.com)
Date: Tue Jul 15 1997 - 13:39:52 MDT
Robin Hanson wrote
>I agree that with a liberal definition of "functional", social roles
>are also functional, and that with a liberal definition of "social"
>all functions serve some social goal at some level. But while I may
>not have chosen ideal terms to denote it, isn't there a distinction
>here worth making? If you grant this, please suggest better terms, or
>grant me the license to use my not-perfect terms.
I do think there is a distinction worth making (which is what made your
original post so interesting and thought-provoking). It seems to me that
you're talking about the interplay between two _functions_ of belief (and
clothes). I'd term one the reflexive function ('How does this belief affect
me alone, in isolation?') and the social function ('How does this belief
affect my interactions with, and opinions of others, and their interactions
with, and opinions of me?'). In fact, the social function also covers a
second question, which betrays this function's dialogic nature: 'How do my
interactions with others, and their opinions of me, affect my belief?'.
Defining both the reflexive and the social as functions serves to stress
the strong influence which the one has on the other; that is: one may say
that a reflexive function of a belief is inner contentment, but that
particular reflexive function may find part of its source in the social
function of acceptance amongst a peer group.
Sarah
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