Recognising associations: a social ontology perspective

Martino, Valeria

Recognising associations: a social ontology perspective

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Societas WP33_Right to be We_Michael Schmitz.pdf(442.99 KB)

Published Version

Date

2025

Authors

Martino, Valeria

Publisher

School of Law, University College Cork

Abstract

In this chapter, I adopt the perspective of social ontology, specifically its ontological posture – the philosophical inquiry into the nature of things and the cataloguing of what exists2 – and apply it to the central subject of this book: associations. This approach prompts us to ask what qualifies as an association and whether its existence should necessarily depend on formal recognition. In the following pages, I will elaborate on the distinction between formally recognised and informal associations, drawing on the analysis of groups in social ontology and their possible intersections with social kinds,3 exploring various paths to shed light on the issue. Indeed, the question “What is an association?” invites a nuanced exploration of both formal and informal groupings of individuals. The tension between the two is clearly shown by one of the scenarios, described in the introduction of this edited book.

Keywords

Associations , Social ontology , Freedom of association

Citation

Martino, V. (2025) 'Recognising associations: a social ontology perspective', Societās Working Paper 34/2025 (17pp). Cork: School of Law, University College Cork.