Institutes and Institutions: the institution of property and primary organizations

Abstract

This article is an essay that proposes a classification of primary and secondary organizations, according to a distinction of institutions and institutes as Law is able to formally institute general social institutions, giving them stability and operational capacity. The social institution of property is taken as the basis for comprehending why corporations and the State are the two main kinds of primary organizations that derivate into more complex secondary organizations (hospitals, schools, clubs, museums, and so on). To understand that difference, I use the example of Language, as institution, in comparison to the use of ‘comma’, as institute, as well as the example of Property, as a social institution and the formal private definition of property according to Law.