[MD] Digesting the world and burping Quality: An Analogy

[craigerb at comcast.net]

[John]
> every social pattern consists exactly of two or more individuals
> in some kind of relationship.

Yes, but the important point is that the reverse is not true,
i.e., NOT every relationship between two or more individuals
is a social pattern.
For instance, suppose you return from hunting & are confronted by a
more powerful individual, so you give him some of your catch
to placate him. This is NOT a social practice. It would be if 
that individual were a tax collector or a representative of the
chief.
The MD is not good at this distinction.

[John]
> Individuals have the purposes that societies and social patterns
> bequeath to them.

An individual learns from society what kinds of things are 
allowed/prohibited/required & what rewards/punishments relate to these.
But normally society has no way of determining what values will result
from these parameters.
Craig