Original scientific paper
Current controversy on sociology: Ulrich Beck, Zygmunt Bauman and Ernest Gellner
Srđan Vrcan
Abstract
The paper is a parallel analysis of the main features in Beck’s,
Bauman’s and Gellner’s respective ideas of the new ways of conceiving and practicing contemporary sociology. It is focused upon the identification and description of the four crucial points that are the most indicative for their different approaches and their basic insights of the problematic social and historical background that exists behind their motivations as well as behind their theoretical elaborations. Consequently, their theoretical elaborations are interpreted
as their respective responses to peculiar challenges, arising from the current historical experience as well as from the present-day major social changes. The first crucial point is found in their dissatisfaction with the current manner which sociology has been conceived and practiced in. The second crucial points has been identified in their different interpretations of the ways of experiencing contemporary society and the social world. The third point is found in their rather different descriptions of the major challenges to sociology, arising
out from the most neuralgic aspects of the contemporary social life. The fourth point is described as their different theoretical ideas on sociology that would be able to respond in an adequate way to the contemporary challenges.
The paper ends with a hint at the relevance of their ideas for those trying to conceive and practice sociology coherently in the post-metaphysic context with no meaningful room for any ultimate grounding and, therefore, along the lines of the enlightenment tradition.
Keywords
SOCIOLOGY AND THE SOCIAL CORSET; METHODOLOGICAL NATIONALISM; COSMOPOLITIZATION OF SOCIAL CONNECTIONS; GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBALISM; FIRST AND SECOND MODERNIZATION; REFLEXIVITY OF THE SECOND MODERNITY; RISK SOCIETY; POSTMODERN SOCIETY AND POSTMODERNISM; EN
Hrčak ID:
4482
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2005.
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