From 544f2b0ae65e7dd43aee630fc88d0995c4e52641 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Silvio Rhatto Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2019 08:33:22 -0300 Subject: Adds books/sociology/secrecy --- books/sociology/secrecy.md | 489 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 489 insertions(+) create mode 100644 books/sociology/secrecy.md (limited to 'books') diff --git a/books/sociology/secrecy.md b/books/sociology/secrecy.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c1db217 --- /dev/null +++ b/books/sociology/secrecy.md @@ -0,0 +1,489 @@ +[[!meta title="The Sociology of Secrecy"]] + +## Excerpts + + [...] + + All relationships of people to each other rest, as a matter of + course, upon the precondition that they know something about + each other. The merchant knows that his correspondent wants + + [...] + + rough and ready way, to the degree necessary in order that the + needed kinds of intercourse may proceed. That we shall know + with whom we have to do, is the first precondition of having + anything to do with another. The customary reciprocal ptresenta- + + [...] + + reciprocally recognized. Their necessity is usually observed only + when they happen to be wanted. It would be a profitable + scientific labor to investigate the sort and degree of reciprocal + apprehension which is needed for the various relationships + between human beings. It would be worth while to know + how the general psychological presumptions with which each + approaches each are interwoven with the special experiences + with reference to the individual who is in juxtaposition with us; + how in many ranges of association the reciprocal apprehension + does or does not need to be equal, or may or may not be permitted + to be equal; how conventional relationships are determined in + their development only through that reciprocal or unilateral + knowledge developing with reference to the other party. The + investigation should finally proceed in the opposite direction; + + + [...] + + given by the total relationship of the knower to the known. + Since one never can absolutely know another, as this would mean + knowledge of every particular thought and feeling; since we + must rather form a conception of a personal unity out of the + fragments of another person in which alone he is accessible to + us, the unity so formed necessarily depends upon that portion of + the other which our standpoint toward him permits us to see. + + [...] + + on the other hand the actual reciprocity of the individuals is based + tupon the picture which they derive of each other. Here we have + one of the deep circuits of the intellectual life, inasmuch as one + element presupposes a second, but the second presupposes the + first. While this is a fallacy within narrow ranges, and thus + + [...] + + or by dissimulation he may deceive us as to the truth. No other + object of knowledge can thus of its own initiative, either + enlighten us with reference to itself or conceal itself, as a human + being can. No other knowable object modifies its conduct from + consideration of its being understood or misunderstood. 'Tlhis + + [...] + + in misconception about the true intention of the person who + tells the lie. Veracity and mendacity are thus of the most far- + reaching significance for the relations of persons with each + other. Sociological structures are most characteristically dif- + ferentiated by the measure of mendacity that is operative in + them. To begin with, in very simple relationships a lie is + much more harmless foir the persistence of the group than + in complex associations. Primitive man, living in communities + of restricted extent, providing for his needs by his own produc- + tion or by direct co-operation, limiting his spiritual interests to + personal experience or to simple tradition, surveys and controls + the material of his existence more easily and completely than the + man of higher culture. In the latter case life rests upon a thou- + sand presuppositions which the individual can never trace back + to their origins, and verify; but which he must accept upon faith + and belief. In a much wider degree than people are accustomed + the economic system + to realize, modern civilized life -from + which is constantly becoming more and more a credit-economy, + + [...] + + to the pursuit of science, in which the majority of investigators + must use countless results obtained by others, and not directly + subject to verification- depends upon faith in the honor of + others. We rest our most serious decisions upon a complicated + system of conceptions, the majority of which presuppose con- + fidence that we have nlot been deceived. Hence prevarication in + modern circumstances becomes something much more devasta- + ting, something placing the foundations of life much more in + jeopardy, than was earlier the case. If lying appeared today + among us as a sin as permissible as among the Greek divinities, + the Hebrew patriarchs, or the South Sea Islanders; if the + extremne severity of the moral law did not veto it, the progressive + upbuilding of modern life would be simply impossible, since + modern life is, in a much wider than the economic sense, a + "credit-economy." This relationship of the times recurs in the + case of differences of other dimensions. The farther third per- + sons are located from the center of our personality, the easier can + we adjust ourselves practically, but also subjectively, to their lack + of integrity. On the other hand, if the few persons in our imme- + dia