Searle's neglect of sociology. An approach from the problem of institutions

This article deals with how Searle neglects sociology in his social ontology. I analyse this neglecting in terms of the problem of institutions, and their collective recognition. In the first section, I provide a contextualization of Searle's base external realism, whose aim is to criticize Berger and Luckmann and their constructivist theory. In the second section, I explain how Searle's concepts of "collective intentionality," "constitutive rules", and "cooperation" are interlinked. In the third section, I argue that the collective recognition of institutions is still an open to debate philosophical problem. In the fourth section, I show how "critical mass", a concept from sociology, allows how Serlean institutions can be elucidated. In the fifth section, I emphasize the sociological importance of contexts C, and how Searle underestimates their crucial role. In the sixth and final section, I offer a paradigmatic example of an institution, money, to show how sociology is and has been decisive in Searle's social ontology.