Trees exist, and trees are not socially constructed.
A lot of problems with socially constructed concepts rely on their malleability: culture changes them all the time. But if culture had the power and technology to similarly change and create physical things on both sides of the border of (the extension of) the concept of trees, that concept could have similar problems, especially if people cared to fight over it.
So maybe the concept of chairs is a better example? Are chairs socially constructed? What about topological spaces? I’m guessing presence of a fight over a concept is more central to it being “socially constructed” in a problematic way than its existence primarily in minds. When there is a fight over a concept, existing outside of minds can help it persevere, but only to the extent that the capability to physically change it is limited.
A lot of problems with socially constructed concepts rely on their malleability: culture changes them all the time. But if culture had the power and technology to similarly change and create physical things on both sides of the border of (the extension of) the concept of trees, that concept could have similar problems, especially if people cared to fight over it.
So maybe the concept of chairs is a better example? Are chairs socially constructed? What about topological spaces? I’m guessing presence of a fight over a concept is more central to it being “socially constructed” in a problematic way than its existence primarily in minds. When there is a fight over a concept, existing outside of minds can help it persevere, but only to the extent that the capability to physically change it is limited.