Full Description
This book examines the future of the social sciences and the reconstruction of society in contemporary times. Drawing on the lead piece For a New Classic Sociology, it calls for a new theoretical synthesis that overcomes the fragmentation, specialization and professionalization within the social sciences. The position paper and the responses by a team of world-class social theorists provide an alternative to utilitarianism and the colonization of the social sciences by rational choice models, propose a new articulation of social theory, and moral, social and political philosophy. It recommends a return to classical social theory and explores articulations between theories of reciprocity, care and recognition.
A radical intervention in the study of the social sciences, the volume will be indispensable to scholars and researchers across the social sciences, especially social theory and sociology and social anthropology.
Contributions by Frank Adloff, Jeffrey C. Alexander, Francis Chateauraynaud, Raewyn Connell, François Dubet, Philip Gorski, Nathalie Heinich, Qu Jingdong, Mike Savage, Michael Singleton and Philippe Steiner.
Contents
Part 1. Position Paper: For a New Classic Sociology. Reassembling Social Theory, the Studies and Moral Philosophy. Introduction: The Prospects of Social Theory 1. Four Fragmentations 2. The Alternative to Utilitarianism: Neo-Classical Sociology 3. Principles of a General Social Theory 4. The Fate of Marxism 5. Constellations of Intersubjectivity and Interdependence References Part II. The Debate: Comments, Critiques and a Response 6. Including All Those who Count and Care 7. In Defense of Sociological Theory: From the Crisis of Capitalism to the Crisis of Democracy 8. Social Theory and the Logic of Inquiry. Some Pragmatic Arguments for a Convergence of Critical and Reconstructive Approaches 9. For Sociology - More Ambitious, More Practical, and Definitely Polyphonic 10. Diversity and Unity of Sociology 11. Big Money, Big Data, Big Theory 12. My Position on Your Position Paper 13. The Myth of Methodism 14. Sociology, Gift Exchange, and Temporality 15. What about the others? 16. Comment on the New Classic Sociology 17. In Return to Our Commentators. Index.
