Chapter 5, Questions 1-6

1. What does Culler mean when he says "society is the primary reality"?
Culler discusses that there is the "social reality" meaning that this is the reality of humans interacting with other humans and the behavior that goes on during the interaction and these must be interpreted.

2. How can society "precede" the individuals? Is this the chicken and egg arguement?
Culler argues that there can not be individuals with society, first there society and individuals need this in order to live. We as society only know about the idea of individual because that is what we are taught, we are not born with the need to be individuals. I think that this is like the chicken and egg argument, because it is argueing what came first. Were there individuals first and then society; did the chicken come first and then the egg?

3. Why isn't society the result of individual behavior?
Because in society, there is a common behavior in the group, therefore society can never be the result of individual behavior because if everyone was an individual then ther could never be a society.

4. What is the underlying basis of the science of semiotics for Culler?
The underlying basis is the importance of a society. Society is necessary in order to understand what the different signs mean.

5. Is it correct to say that the single individual doesn't think? Explain why or why not.
Going from the readings, this statement would be true. In the after readings, when discussing the possibilities of an individual states "Thus, the idea of the 'self-made' man or woman, completely independent of society, is an illusion (that is, false notion) that we learn from the only place we learn it, from society". So people may think they are individuals but society taught them this, they did not think this on their own.

6. Why is the notion of the "self-made man/woman" an illusion? What does de Tocqueville say?
It is an illusion because we are taught the idea of individual from society, there is no "self-made" individual without the help from society. De Tocqueville stated "Individualism proceeds the erroneous judgement more then from depraved feelings; it originates as much in deficiencies of mind as in perversity of heart"
I think he is saying that individualism is not an illusion.