ABSTRACT
Marion (1999) uses his concept of Complex Natural Teleology (discussed in Chapter 7) to explain human action. First, he relates the formative causality of autocatalysis in natural systems to human behavior. He asks what catalyses social behavior and concludes that it is the selfish need of the individual. Selfishness is local and personal, an individual trait that does not depend upon any external force. Humans are said to cooperate because that is the best way of achieving individual goals. In addition, individual human action is catalyzed by symbols: ideas, concepts, opinions, beliefs, emotions and projections. Humans assign meaning to symbols and mental constructs that catalyze human action to create complex social structures. This clearly places the individual as fundamental and thought before action. Before there can be the social there have to be individual humans with their selfish interests, and before they act, they think and make selfish choices.
