New Books in Psychology Armin W. Schulz, "Presentist Social Functionalism: Bringing Contemporary Evolutionary Biology to the Social Sciences" (Springer, 2025)
Sep 10, 2025
Armin W. Schulz, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas, dives into the intriguing intersection of evolutionary biology and social sciences. He explores how social institutions function in contemporary settings, emphasizing their roles in shaping human behavior and cultural norms. Schulz critiques individualistic views on institutions, advocates for presentist social functionalism, and examines the legal and ethical responsibilities of corporations. He also discusses the internal conflicts within collective entities, shedding light on the complexities of decision-making in social frameworks.
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Focus Functions On Present Survival
- Schulz defines social institutions as norm-governed practices where people recognize appropriate ways to act.
- He argues functions of institutions should explain their present capacity to survive and thrive, not just history.
Rule-Based Conception Beats Pure Equilibria
- Schulz endorses the rule-based conception of institutions: shared rules about how to act that people recognize.
- He rejects equilibrium-only accounts as too narrow for many institutional norms like opera dress codes.
Functions Deeply Rooted In Sociology
- Functional explanations have been central in sociology from Durkheim onward, framing societies like organisms with parts playing roles.
- Mid-20th-century doubts arose, but Schulz argues functional thinking remains useful when properly grounded.
