Social Norms and Social Reality

Abstract

AbstractNormative externalism and the artisanal model for social role normativity require a more complex ontology and richer explanatory resources than is afforded by methodological individualism. Social positions, social roles, techniques, and expertise (the explanatory resources of normative externalism and the artisanal model) are not reducible to individuals or their attitudes and actions. The chapter provides an articulation of the outlines of the social ontology implicit in the artisanal model of social role normativity rather than an argument that that social ontology should be adopted. A full ontology of the artisanal model of social role normativity, which would require discussion of the ontology of social positions, the nature of artisanal powers and other important topics that lie beyond the scope of this chapter.