Foundations of Institutional Reality

In Foundations of Institutional Reality, Andrei Marmor provides a novel account of the ontological foundations of institutional facts and argues that there are important epistemic and methodological implications that follow from this ontology. He offers a grounding-reductive account of collective attitudes that comports with methodological individualism and challenges Searle's distinction between constitutive and regulative rules. The book demonstrates that an ontology of institutional facts requires an ontology of social rules and that there are certain types of comprehensive, group-wide errors about the socially constructed aspects of reality that are not metaphysically possible. It also argues that a metaphysical account of institutional reality does not have to provide an explanation of the relevant social practices in terms that would rationalize the practice for the participants themselves. Finally, it explains the idea of hierarchical practices, arguing that basic social power-structuring rules function to transform brute power into an elaborate normative framework, constituting authoritative institutions that are central to our institutional reality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In his groundbreaking work Foundations of Institutional Reality, Andrei Marmor delves into the ontological underpinnings of institutional facts, unveiling profound epistemic and methodological implications. Marmor presents a novel account of collective attitudes, grounded in methodological individualism, which harmonizes with the reductionist approach. He challenges Searle's influential distinction between constitutive and regulative rules, advocating for a functional explanation of the constitutive relations between rules and practices.

The first part of the book provides a detailed reductive account of institutional facts by grounding them in metaphysical principles. It establishes that an ontology of institutional facts necessitates an ontology of social rules, which, in turn, relies on a reductive account of collective attitudes. This intricate relationship highlights the interconnectedness of different aspects of institutional reality.

The second part of the book delves into the epistemic and methodological consequences of the ontology of institutional facts. Marmor argues that there are certain types of comprehensive, group-wide errors about the socially constructed aspects of reality that are not metaphysically possible. He further suggests that a metaphysical account of institutional reality does not necessarily need to provide explanations of social practices in terms that would rationalize them for the participants themselves. This nuanced perspective challenges traditional approaches to understanding institutional reality.

The final chapter of the book explores the concept of hierarchical practices, highlighting the role of basic social power-structuring rules in transforming brute power into an elaborate normative framework. This transformation constitutes authoritative institutions that are central to our institutional reality. Marmor's work provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking exploration of the ontological foundations of institutional facts, offering valuable insights into the nature of social reality and the implications of different approaches to understanding it.

Weight: 392g
Dimension: 283 x 193 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197657348