Theory Courses

This course is intended for use in Sociological Theory II (753402) and Sociology of Contemporary societies (753403) in Sociology, and corresponding study units in other disciplines in the Faculty of Social Sciences. It is offered to all MA students in the Department of Social Research and all doctoral students in the PhD Programme of the Social Sciences. It can also be used in history, philosophy, political science and economics if agreed with the examiner of the corresponding study unit.

THE SOCIOLOGICAL PROMISE FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO POSTMODERN CRITICS. FIGHTING BACK THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL MONSTER

Presentation of the course

Why is it so difficult to deal with difference in modern societies? Do they, even the most liberal democracies, have a tendency to turn into totalitarian states? These are questions that arise today as we look around the world in which we live, but they are not new. The social thought in the Enlightenment formulated them on the basis of two starting points. First, societies are not held together by natural laws; they are man-made human constructions and therefore historical and variable. Second, not only are societies made by humans; also humans are made by societies. Calculative rationality is one of the ways in which societies “make man” but not the basis of social order.
Most sociological traditions have fought back the “anthropological monster” of the self-interested rational calculator that keeps reappearing not only in economic theory but also in everyday thought. Doing this they have sought to answer the two questions above. There must be a way of binding members of society to the social order as equals but accommodating their differences. The subjects of the social order are also the source of its political legitimacy. The republican paradox, as it is here called, is a tendency towards totalitarian rule that originates from this very source.
This lecture and reading course discusses the way sociological theories have dealt with these two problems, starting with the Enlightenment, commenting on the classical tradition, and then going into solutions, the neoliberal creed and the contractual illusion, that are part of our everyday political and practical struggles over equality and difference, and the danger of totalitarianism.

Programme
30.10. Enlightenment on modern society: agency as the principle of justification of social order
06.11. The classical tradition and the ambivalences of modern societies: conflict or integration?
13.11. Critics of republicanism and the threat of totalitarianism
20.11. Universalism and difference: Erik Allardt’s theory
29.11. The neoliberal turn: Milton Friedman on liberty
04.12. The contractual illusion and the New Middle Class
11.12. Symbolisation and violence: Parsons, Bourdieu and the critique of the anthropological monster
18.12. FINAL EXAMINATION

The course in period 2, 2015, does not require participation in earlier courses of the same series.
The course consists of lectures, background readings, group work and an open examination (you can bring your laptops and use any material you like to answer the questions).
The course gives 5 Credit Points.

4,298 thoughts on “Theory Courses”

  2. Thanks for your article. It is very unfortunate that over the last one decade, the travel industry has already been able to to fight terrorism, SARS, tsunamis, influenza, swine flu, and the first ever real global recession. Through all of it the industry has really proven to be solid, resilient along with dynamic, finding new strategies to deal with misfortune. There are continually fresh problems and possibilities to which the marketplace must once again adapt and reply.

  3. With havin so much content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright infringement? My site has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my authorization. Do you know any methods to help reduce content from being stolen? I’d truly appreciate it.

  4. What?s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I’m hoping to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Good job.

  5. Your writing style is cool and I have learned several just right stuff here. I can see how much effort you’ve poured in to come up with such informative posts. If you need more input about Rental Car Services, feel free to check out my website at ArticleHome

  6. I get pleasure from, cause I found exactly what I used to be having a look for. You’ve ended my 4 day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye

  7. Thanks for your post. I would love to say this that the very first thing you will need to perform is determine whether you really need credit restoration. To do that you will have to get your hands on a copy of your credit file. That should not be difficult, since government makes it necessary that you are allowed to get one free of charge copy of your real credit report yearly. You just have to inquire the right people today. You can either look at website for your Federal Trade Commission or even contact one of the main credit agencies right away.

  8. What fabulous ideas you have concerning this subject! By the way, check out my website at Autoprofi for content about Accident Car Purchase.

  10. There’s noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice factors in options also.

  11. We are a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme
    in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on. You’ve performed a formidable process and our entire community will
    probably be grateful to you.

  12. you are really a good webmaster. The website loading velocity is incredible. It seems that you’re doing any unique trick. Furthermore, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve done a fantastic job on this subject!

  15. I?ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site. Reading this information So i am happy to convey that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make certain to don?t forget this site and give it a look on a constant basis.

  16. I have noticed that costs for internet degree pros tend to be an excellent value. For instance a full Bachelors Degree in Communication with the University of Phoenix Online consists of Sixty credits from $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online provides a Bachelors of Business Administration with a complete course element of 180 units and a tuition fee of $30,560. Online degree learning has made getting the college diploma so much easier because you may earn the degree from the comfort of your dwelling place and when you finish from work. Thanks for all tips I have certainly learned through your site.

  17. Thanks for your short article. I would love to say that your health insurance agent also works best for the benefit of the actual coordinators of the group insurance plan. The health broker is given a directory of benefits needed by anyone or a group coordinator. What any broker does indeed is look for individuals or coordinators which in turn best fit those desires. Then he shows his tips and if the two of you agree, the actual broker formulates a contract between the two parties.

  18. naturally like your web site but you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will definitely come back again.

  19. I like the comprehensive information you provide in your blog. The topic is kinda complex but I’d have to say you nailed it! Look into my page Article Sphere for content about Search Engine Optimization.

  20. One thing I’d like to say is always that car insurance cancelling is a terrifying experience so if you’re doing the suitable things like a driver you will not get one. Some individuals do obtain notice that they have been officially dumped by their particular insurance company they then have to fight to get additional insurance following a cancellation. Low-cost auto insurance rates usually are hard to get following a cancellation. Having the main reasons for auto insurance cancellations can help owners prevent losing one of the most crucial privileges obtainable. Thanks for the concepts shared through your blog.

  21. One important thing is that when you find yourself searching for a education loan you may find that you will want a cosigner. There are many cases where this is true because you might discover that you do not have a past credit history so the mortgage lender will require that you’ve got someone cosign the credit for you. Great post.

  22. The way you put together the information on your posts is commendable. I would highly recommend this site. You might also want to check my page Article Star for some noteworthy inputs about Apartments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *