SOSC 1140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Stanley Diamond, Law Of Excluded Middle, Oral Tradition
17 Nov 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SCS
Week 4
Lecture
Stanley Diamond:
•He wants us to find what it means to be human and what stays the same and works in all
cultures/ human societies.
• Prime: what comes first in order, time and value.
• The primitive is primary human potential.
•Our contemporary pathology are not being actualized because we have lost sight of what it
means to be human.
•Our primary disfunction of society is our inability to ..
•Characteristic of the Primitive:
1. Communal Economies — the economy is communal. No “economy” in the modern sense.
• Everything becomes a commodity: made primarily for exchange. The economy does not
dominate the society. You can own individual items (clothing) but you can’t own food/ land
and charge people for it. No economical classes, everyone is equal. Exchange is gift-giving.
2. Leadership Roles — No political system.
•There is a system of symbolic respect. It is based on experience. No coercion or leadership.
No form of structure or power.
•Goal is leadership: growth of the community, not personal advantage.
3. The Legality of Custom — No modern “law.”
•Oral culture, they do not write things down.
•Based on tradition. The traditions aren't formal. No permanent military the maintains the laws.
4. Conservatism & Conflict Resolution — Little change
•The society is balanced — personal needs are met. Think think change is dangerous.
•[In our society, we see change and development as positive.]
5. Cultural Integration — No isolated activities.
• Work is not a separate task from free time. ex. taking the bus from school to work. Activities
are not divided into specific days.
6. Participation in Society — Not alienated worker.
•Work is done for use and necessity. You don't have to do it all the time. It is only done if it is
necessary. Work has a direct meaning.
7. Moral Order & Tribal Organization — Not impersonal.
•The whole society is a kinship.
8. Non-Platonic Mode of Thought — No abstraction.
• Abstraction means to take meaning out of something and put it somewhere else.
•Started with Plato and Aristotle
•Aristotle's 3 rules of logic:
•1. Law of Identity - something is what it is.
•2. Law of non contradiction - cannot contradict itself, then it is not logical.
•3. Law of the excluded middle - you are either talking about one thing or the other, not both.
•Plato: looks at Aristotle’s 3 rules of logic and says the truth of something is the idea you have.
ex. apple from different angles.
•What is less concrete is less relevant.
9. Uses of Ritual Drama — Mocking Authority.
Document Summary
No economy in the modern sense: everything becomes a commodity: made primarily for exchange. You can own individual items (clothing) but you can"t own food/ land and charge people for it. Exchange is gift-giving: leadership roles no political system, there is a system of symbolic respect. No form of structure or power: goal is leadership: growth of the community, not personal advantage, the legality of custom no modern law. , oral culture, they do not write things down, based on tradition. No permanent military the maintains the laws: conservatism & conflict resolution little change, the society is balanced personal needs are met. Think think change is dangerous: [in our society, we see change and development as positive. , cultural integration no isolated activities, work is not a separate task from free time. ex. taking the bus from school to work. Activities are not divided into specific days: participation in society not alienated worker, work is done for use and necessity.
