Mimesis, law, struggle. A contribution to social ontology

pages: 917-933

Abstract

In this text, I begin from a brief presentation of Edith Stein's neglected theory of collective identity in contemporary social ontology, in order to, building on and resisting her conclusions, elaborate a new differentiation of various forms of collective identity. The thesis is that there are only three basic forms of communal living and action which have a feeling of collective belonging and solidarity, that is, collective identity: the masses, associations (corporations) and communities. I go on to further develop their respective particularities through the use of the terms of mimesis, (established) law and struggle, and by using certain insights from Hegel regarding the nature of “objective spirit”. Keywords: solidarity, collective identity, mimesis, law, struggle, mass, corporation, community, Edith Stein, Hegel