What's the Point? A Presentist Social Functionalist Account of Institutional Purpose. Issue 1 (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schulz, Armin W.
• Other Names: Gotoh Reiko guest-editor.; Yoshida Kei guest-editor.; Cheung Chor-yung guest-editor.; Iorio Francesco Di guest-editor.; Dumouchel Paul guest-editor.; Tamthai Mark guest-editor.; Bouvier Alban guest-editor.; Kaldis Byron guest-editor.; Montuschi Eleonora guest-editor.; Zahle Julie guest-editor.; Zamora-Bonilla Jes´us guest-editor.; Henderson David guest-editor.; Khalifa Kareem guest-editor.; Risjord Mark guest-editor.; Roth Paul guest-editor.; Tollefsen Deborah guest-editor.; Turner Stephen guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of the social sciences. Volume 52:Issue 1/2(2022)
• Page Start: 53
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: functionalism -- social institution -- institutional corruption -- corporation -- social evolution; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; 300.1
• DOI: 10.1177/00483931211049765
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-3931

Abstract

Although it is clear that many of the major contemporary social problems center on the extent to which social institutions do or do not function as they are meant to do, it is still unclear exactly what the function of a social institution is—and thus when this function is undermined. This paper presents and defends a novel theory of social functionalism—presentist social functionalism—to answer these questions. According to this theory, the function of social institutions is grounded in those of their features that, in the current cultural environment, increase their chances to survive or reproduce. To bring out the fruitfulness of this account, the paper analyzes the (still controversial) question of the function of corporations, and shows that present social functionalism (a) points to the kinds of data that would be helpful to determine this function, (b) brings up hitherto overlooked theoretical possibilities, and (c) allows for the clearer assessment and handling of corporate corruption.