ABSTRACT
In this article I intend to argue that human beings have emerged from nature and remain rooted in it despite culture creating opportunities that go beyond the natural. For this reason, my interest is in showing that this cultural and psychological leap does not eliminate from human ontology the deeply rooted continuity with nature. Precisely because of this, social theory must be aware that with greater complexity, there is a need for the integration of more aetiological factors and a greater methodological and interdisciplinary breadth. Social theory cannot be constructed solely on the basis of empirical data from social analysis. The article is structured as follows: firstly, I discuss the historical origins of the emergence of the human self-perception of discontinuity. Secondly, I outline some of the ontological consequences of anthropological models based on discontinuity. Thirdly and fourthly, I outline what I consider to be the methodological and epistemological principles required for an integrative social theory. Finally, I attempt to establish an integrated typology that explains the complexity of human behaviour and identity.
Subject(s)
Biology , Knowledge , Humans , Social TheoryABSTRACT
Ambivalence is a constituent feature of human beings. The aim of this article is to systematise the fundamental sources of ambivalence (neuropsychic, socio-cultural and situational) and highlight that ambivalence can be considered as an external sign or manifestation of a complex and multiple internal human nature; that is, a human being constituted by multiple selves. In this paper the self is viewed as a principle of organization and integration for action, that is, as a complex neurological process and not as a static entity. The purpose is to show how by assuming ambivalence and the multiple-self, social and anthropological theories can offer a more realistic view of human beings.
