[MD] Food for Thought

[Case]

[Ian]
But what I still struggle to accept as clear is any distinction of
intellect from social. Don't get me wrong, I see a clear gradings of
the quality of cultural concepts and activities, and can see useful
social / intellectual labels, but this labelling seems entirely
cultural. Sets of "principles" "accepted" as being valid, even if
contingent on better ideas coming along.

[Case]
I would suggest that if the intellectual level is concerned or arises from
symbol manipulation, its effect is to have completely subsumed the social
level. The idea that people would act in anyway you care to think of without
being able to intellectualize and verbalize a "reason" is unthinkable. I
would suggest further that the best way to regard the levels is as fuzzy
sets with clearly defined centers that blur at the edges. But I remain
skeptical about their usefulness. Nice metaphors though.