ABSTRACT
Although we usually count identity among an individual’s most personal possessions, it has, of course, an inherently social aspect as well. A human being living completely apart from any social order or group—supposing that such an existence were possible—would have no need of identity. One can easily imagine such a loner performing all the activities compelled by human biology without the benefit of name, title, rank, or status. Animals provide us with ample evidence that the symbolic accouterments of identity are not indispensable for physical survival. Identity, then, is not required for navigating the world of nature: Its native sphere is that of society. The need for a proper name, for example, automatically arises in a setting where the individual is one among others of the same kind.
