Sociology has always been forced to establish its "scientific" legitimacy, but this need
has never been more strongly felt than today. Constant theoretical shifts and disciplinary
fragmentation are viewed as symptoms of some fundamental problems. Assuming the
precariousness of the present condition of sociology, this dissertation seeks to understand
and explain the driving force behind theoretical shifts in sociology, for they are blamed
for many of the problems in the discipline. Through a close reading of Michel Foucault's
works, I argue that sociology, like many other forms of knowledge, has attempted to
shape the modern person as an ethical subject. Pursuant to this objective, early
sociologists attempted to establish a balance between two different kinds of orientation
within the discipline, one of which was epistemological and scientific while the other was
ontological and discursive. This position was in line with the critical attitude of the time
and the emancipatory promises of the Enlightenment, which were nurtured by the early
sociologists. In other words, the dual characteristic of sociology was due to a critical
interest in changing and shaping the modern social subject. However, this duality gave
rise to a tension within the discipline that was extremely difficult to manage, if not
impossible.
This dissertation examines the tension between the two orientations that has
shaped the history of sociology. I read classical sociologists such as Auguste Comte,
Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber to show that even these positivistic sociologists'
theories can best be understood as a form of critique. In particular, I explain how they
sought to manage the tension between the epistemological and the ontological aspects of
their theories. I also examine Karl Popper's critical philosophy as a more recent attempt
to keep science politically relevant. However, I will show that the dilemmas created in
sociology are mainly due to a strong epistemological orientation beyond which most
contemporary sociologists are not able to move.
Sociology may avoid some of its present dilemmas by shifting its critical interest
to an ontological path. To show the possibility and merits o f the ontological approach to
politics, I read Karl Marx as a classical sociologist whose theory exhibits a strong
ontological tendency. I above all discuss Michel Foucault's work extensively in order to
both explain the nature of sociological theories and to explore the possibility and the
prospects of the separation of the epistemological and the ontological sociologies more
systematically. My aim is to show that while scientific sociology tries to advance without
becoming intrinsically political, an explicitly discursive or ontological approach to
contemporary political questions can be adopted by interested political actors and
sociologists alike.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10906 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Soleiman-Panah, Sayyed Mohammad |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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