It is in this sense that it has been argued that social relations among the animals originated not in conjugal or filial ties, but rather in sibling ties alone, since the latter allow much greater freedom to the individual than do the former; hence, they make the individual more inclined to attach itself closely to the larger circle, which certainly first proffers itself in the individual’s siblings. Being confined in an animal family has thus been viewed as the greatest hindrance to becoming involved in a larger animal society.

XREF: Connects to evolutionary theories about social bonding and the origins of cooperation, relevant to work on group dynamics and social evolution.

Georg Simmel, on individuality and social…, loc. 627