Social Perception and Social Change

Abstract

How do we ever come to perceive society in such a way that a need for social change makes itself apparent? This is an odd question. It assumes that dissatisfaction, not satisfaction, with society is what needs explaining. The reasoning behind this is very simple. Assume that our perception of the physical world is heavily influenced by our preconceptions and expectations, and these in turn are heavily influenced by our early education and primary socialization. When we turn from the physical world to consider the social world the following transpires. Whereas the way the physical world is is not a function of the way we perceive it to be; the way the social world is, I shall argue, is heavily influenced by the way we perceive it to be, which in turn is heavily influenced by our early education and primary socialization.

Read to the Philosophy Club at Carleton University, Ottawa, November 7, 1961, and to the Boston Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science, November 13, 1969. Some of the material in section IV overlaps with that in chapter 6 of my (1972). As always, Joseph Agassi was generous with his help.