Abstract
Durkheim (The Division of Labor in Society) showed how the interdependence of specialists underlies organic social solidarity. The farmer depends upon the smith for his plow, while the smith looks tol the farmer for food. The soldier, defending both against an outside enemy, is fed by the farmer and armed by the smith. Together they resist the threat of the enemy or of a drought. Yet their solidarity is not unambiguous. Anxieties arise within the very structure of their cooperation which endanger their relation. We term these "existential anxieties" since they inhere in the nature of action. Existential anxieties face the individual at the inception of his act. Derivatively, they produce a social problem and call forth a social response. This paper begins by illustrating several types of existential anxieties. This is followed by an examination of some socially structured arrangements for assuring action despite them. A few research suggestions conclude the paper.
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