Even in the absence of explicit organization, subtle effects may arise on a social level from the interaction of individuals pursuing their personal goals—effects which may not be specifically intended by any of the individuals involved. These aggregate effects, which will be explored in detail in later sections, again derive from individual action.

Although the ultimate unit of human action is the individual, it should not be concluded that the various kinds of social cooperation and organization, which we refer to as "society," are insignificant. On the contrary, an individual's social context is of vital importance to his or her physical and mental well-being. The potential benefits of living in society, which are generally seriously underestimated, will be emphasized throughout this course. Unfortunately, the mistaken notion of society as an organism acting out of its own imperatives leads to practices that (as will be seen in future sections) are very destructive to society itself, causing human beings increasingly to turn against one another.