Action and Unintended Consequences: Counterfinality’s Paradox as a Sociological Problem

Abstract

Counterfinality is the unintended consequences that stem from uncoordinated actions. Counterfinality problem can be described as a complex theoretical problem, including the problems of understanding the motive for action, the transition from individual goals to collective results, and unintended consequences. Understanding the motive for action is an initial challenge in the study of counterfinality. This problem is well studied in sociology, and the ideas of authors such as Weber and Schütz are still relevant. Understanding the motive for action can be accomplished by having a stock of social knowledge and an understanding of typical situations and the typical motives. However, any attempt to describe a motive for action is only a hypothesis, and the actual course of events is the basis for understanding action, and therefore ethnographic observations come first in describing counterfinality. After that, it is important to trace the transition from these actions to collective irrational consequences. Such a transition is possible because of the shortsightedness of individuals focused only on personal goals. In addition to these misperceptions, unintended collective consequences can have other conditions of occurrence: insufficient information, publicly voiced predictions and etc. The presented sequence of description of counterfinality from action to consequences is a theoretical reference point and a more detailed description of all stages of counterfinality emergence is the task of a particular empirical study.