Constitutivists

Constitutivists are a group of philosophers who argue that social reality is not merely a reflection of individual consciousness or external objects, but is constituted by the practices, institutions, and norms that shape our social world. This perspective is often associated with the work of philosophers such as John Searle, who developed the concept of social reality as a form of institutional facts. According to Searle, social reality is not something that exists independently of human action, but rather it is created and maintained through our collective practices and institutions.

Constitutivists reject the idea that social reality is merely a construct of individual minds or a reflection of objective reality. Instead, they argue that social reality is constituted by the practices and norms that guide our interactions and shape our social world. For example, money is not just a physical object, but a social institution that has value because we collectively agree that it does. Similarly, marriage is not just a legal contract, but a social institution that has meaning because we collectively recognize it as such.

Constitutivists also argue that social reality is not something that can be reduced to individual consciousness or objective reality. Instead, it is a distinct form of reality that is constituted by our social practices and institutions. This perspective has important implications for our understanding of social phenomena, as well as for our approach to social policy and social change. By recognizing that social reality is constituted by our collective practices and institutions, we can better understand how social phenomena emerge and evolve, and how we can work to create more just and equitable social worlds.