The Reality of the Social World

Jenny Pelletier wrote her doctoral dissertation on William of Ockham's conception of metaphysics. Her past and present research interests include medieval metaphysics, philosophy of mind, epistemology, theory of science, and political philosophy, particularly in Ockham and his immediate circle. She is currently interested in the metaphysical foundation of social and political concepts in medieval philosophy and theology.

Christian Rode wrote his doctoral dissertation on the reception of William of Ockham's philosophy and logic in Italy in the 14th century. His Habilitation focused on inner experience and theories of consciousness and self-cognition in the Middle Ages and early modernity. His research interests include theories of (self-)cognition, consciousness, ontology, social ontology and political philosophy, mostly in the Middle Ages.

Introduction.- Part 1. Medieval and Early Modern Perspectives on Issues in Social Ontology.- Chapter 1. Thomas Aquinas on the Ontology of the Political Community (Fabrizio Amerini).- Chapter 2. Ontology of Power Relations in Peter Olivi (Juhana Toivanen).- Chapter 3. Transgressing the Pact of Meanings: Social Implications of Peter John Olivi's Theory of Signification (Claudia Appolloni).- Chapter 4. Enrico del Carretto on Social Ontology and Especially Why A Religious Order is not a Mere Collection of Individuals (Roberto Lambertini).- Chapter 5. William of Ockham on Social Objects (in His Academic Writings) (Magali Roques).- Chapter 6. Spinoza on the Ontology of Justice:  The Role of 'Beings of Reason' (Entia Rationis) (Michael Rosenthal).- Chapter 7. Constituents of Social Life in the Political Philosophy of Johannes Althusius (Jukka Ruokanen).- Part 2. Contemporary Issues.- Chapter 8. Social Entities without Explicit Establishment (Ludger Jansen).- Chapter 9. From Legal Fictionto Collective Agency - Arguments for Collective Personhood in Contemporary Social Ontology (Onni Hirvonen).- Part 3. Historical and Contemporary Perspectives in Dialogue.- Chapter 10. Cooperation, Community, and Institution (Falk Hamann).- Chapter 11. Between Scotus and Searle: Powers, Contingency and Institutions (Michaël Bauwens).- Chapter 12. Power and Violence. On the Ontology of Legitimate Power in Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) and Luis de Molina (1535-1600) (Danae Simmermacher).- Chapter 13. Life Experience instead of Consciousness. On the Ontological Conceptualisation of the Social (Stephan Zimmermann)