printPostmodernism in sociology. On unobtrusive consequences of a recent sociological fashion
Shchelkin A.G.
Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Prof., leading researcher of the Sociological Institute of FCTAS RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia evropa.ru@gmail.com
Shchelkin A.G. Postmodernism in sociology. On unobtrusive consequences of a recent sociological fashion. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2017. No 2. P. 120-130
The phenomenon of postmodernism, as manifested in current sociology, is considered in terms of ambiguous consequences of this postmodern paradigm we are seeing today. Firstly, the rejection of the principle of universalism in favor of purely relativistic point of view (all social phenomena are considered sui generis) has dramatically changed epistemological apparatus of sociology. The notion, as fixing the essence and nature of this or that phenomenon, in the post-modern sociology ceases to have heuristic value. This sociology operates with case studies, narratives, stories and other instruments to underline uniqueness and idiographic character of a social phenomenon. Such sociology refuses to evaluate these phenomena in terms of “normal /deviation”. “The deviation from normality” is considered under the sign of the fashion category of “other”. Therefore, post-modern concept is indifferent to the “essences” and “norms” of social things. Secondly, postmodernism distorted sociology in ontological aspect. It deontologizes social reality, that is, turns it into an infinite and arbitrary set of virtual objects-simulacra. Although in today’s society there is a lot of quasi-objects, the world is still full of real and authenticable things that are not removed, but rather close to its essence, and even equal it. In general, it turns out that the practical value of postmodern sociology becomes problematic and morally the latter is on the verge of ethic nihilism.
Bek U. (2008) Kosmopoliticheskoe mirovozzrenie [Cosmopolitan Outlook]. Moscow: Tsentr issledovaniy postindustrial’nogo obshchestva. (In Russ.)
Bell D. (1976) The Cultural Contradactions of Capitalism. New York.
Bourdieu P. (1994) Nachala. [Choses dites] Moscow: Socio-Logos. (In Russ.)
Deleuze G., Guattari F. (2007) Anti-Edip: Capitalism i schizophrenia. [L’Anti-Edipe: Capitalizme et schizophrénie]. Ekaterinburg: U-Faktoria. (In Russ.)
Feyerabend P. (2007) Protiv metoda. [Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge]. Moscow: АСТ. (In Russ.)
Filippovich A., Semenova V. (2003) Posleslovie. Postmodernism. [Afterword. Postmodernism] In: Noveyshiy filosofskiy slovar [Tht Newest Philosophical Dictionary]. Minsk: Knizhnyj Dvor. (In Russ.)
M. Foucault M. (2007). Predislovie [Preface]. In: Deleuze G., Guattari F. (2007) Anti-Edip: Capitalism i schizophrenia. [L’Anti-OEdipe: Capitalizme et schizophrénie]. Ekaterinburg: U-Faktoria. (In Russ.)
Huntington S.(2003) Stolknovenie tsivilizatsij [The clash of civilizations] Moscow: АСТ. (In Russ.)
Jenkins R. (2015) Chto zjdet sociologiu: vimiranie, zastoj ili evolutsia? [The future of sociology: extinction, stagnation or evolution?]. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological studies]. No. 3. P. 11–21. (In Russ.)
Kepel G. (1993) The Revenge of God. Penn State University Press.
Kozlowski P. (1997) Kultura postmoderna. [The Culture of Postmodern] Moscow: Respublica. (In Russ.)
Lipovetsky G. (2001) Era pustoty [U ere du vide] Saint-Petersburg: “Vladimir Dal’”. (In Russ.)
Matthewman S., Hoey D. (2006) What happened to Postmodernism? Sociology. Volume 40 (3). June 2006. P. 529–547.
Nancy J-L. (1986) L’oubli de la philosophie. Paris.
Pomerants G. (2005) Istoria Rossii v svete teorii tsivilizatsij [History of Russia in the light of the theory of civilizations]. URL: http://www.pomeranz.ru/p/istoriya_rossii.htm (assesed 25.09.15). (In Russ.)
Porus V. (2010) Fejerabend [Feuerabend]. In: Novaja filosofskaja entsiklopedia [New Encyclopedia of Philosophy]. URL: http:// iph.ras.ru/elib/3167.html (accessed 20. 01. 14). (In Russ.)
Sartre J-P. [1989] Ekzistentsialism –eto gumanizm [Existentialism is a humanism] In: Sumerki bogov [Twilight of the Gods]. Moscow: Politizdat. (In Russ.)
Shchelkin A.(2015) Sotsium v poiskah sobstvennoj modal’nosty: mezhdy samopotvorstvom i samodystsyplinoj. [Society in search of its own modalities: between egotism and self-discipline]. Telescope [Teleskop]. No. 6. P. 14–17.
Smirnov I. (2009) Byvaut li bezydejnye epohi? [Are there any nonideo[ogical epoches?]. Zvezda [Star]. No. 6. URL: http://magazines. russ.ru/zvezda/2009/6 (accessed 21.07.15). (In Russ.)
Yanov A. (2006) Skol’ko na zemle tsyvilizatsiy? [How many civilizations on Earth?] In: Rossija v glodal’noy politike. [Russia in Global Affairs]. No. 5. URL: http://globalaftairs.ru/nuvber/n_7415 (accessed 03.10.13) (In Russ.)