superorganicadj.n.
/ˌsuːpəɔːˈɡanɪk/, /ˌsjuːpəɔːˈɡanɪk/, U.S. /ˌsupərɔrˈɡænɪk/ A. adj.
1. That is above or goes beyond the laws of nature or the capacities of living organisms; supernatural.
ΚΠ
1818 S. T. Coleridge Coll. Lett. (1959) IV. 799 If miraculous means super-organic, & not mechanical, I believe in Miracl[es].
?c1880 W. W. Collins Law & God 14 It may to us appear marvellous that matter, with its own powers, should succeed in producing all the wonderful phenomena with which we are acquainted, but then the mystery proves no super-organic agency.
1906 M. H. Fitch Physical Basis of Mind & Morals i. 39 The operations of the mind, are not produced by the natural physiology of the brain; but are produced..by some unknown super-organic or supernatural power.
1964 A. T. Tymieniecka Leibniz' Cosmol. Synthesis ii. iii. 150 Leibniz attributes superior value to the spiritual nature of the human soul as forming a link with the Divine and constituting the higher, super-organic kingdom of souls.
1997 D. Wojcik End of World as we know It v. 116 Often in popular speech ‘the bomb’ is described as if it were a superorganic or supernatural entity with a power and will of its own.
2. Sociology. Designating or characteristic of the social and cultural aspects of life which evolve from and transcend individuals in society.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > customs, values, and civilization > [adjective] > relating to specific social or cultural aspects
superorganic1867
psychocultural1926
horizontal1931
under-developed1944
heritage1970
1867 H. Spencer First Princ. (ed. 2) ii. xiv. §111. 316 Phenomena which, for want of a better word, we may term super-organic.
1876 H. Spencer Princ. Sociol. I. i. i. 3 The four Volumes, that have followed First Principles, have dealt with Organic Evolution... We have now to enter upon the remaining division—Super-organic Evolution.
1932 A. Raven (title) Civilization as divine superman. A superorganic philosophy of history.
1973 P. A. Colinvaux Introd. Ecol. xl. 550 A first grand generalization was the persuasive philosophy of Clements and his disciples..who likened the climax stage to some superorganic being.
2002 S. Pinker Blank Slate (Book Club ed.) ii. 26 The superorganic or group mind also became an article of faith in social science.
B. n.
Sociology. With the. That which is superorganic.
ΚΠ
1876 H. Spencer Princ. Sociol. I. i. i. 6 The evolution we see in them [sc. social insects] is..intermediate between the organic and the super-organic.
1884 Presbyterian Rev. Oct. 595 Illustrations, and..partial introductions relating to the super-organic, abound in the general philosophy.
1917 A. L. Kroeber (title) The superorganic.
1983 A. Béteille in Ess. Compar. Sociol. (1987) 159 The mainstream of American anthropology had been dominated at least in the present century by its anti-evolutionist bias and by its concern for culture viewed as the superorganic.
2006 J. P. Bonner Sailing with Noah iv. 65 The realm of the superorganic is greater than the sum total of the organic things that..compose it.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1818