For a New Classic Sociology

Alain Caillé is Professor Emeritus of Nanterre University in Paris, France. One of France’s most prominent intellectuals, he is the founder of the Mouvement Anti-Utilitariste dans les Sciences Sociales (MAUSS, Anti-utilitarian Movement in the Social Sciences), the chief editor of the Revue du MAUSS and the driving force behind the international convivialist movement. He has published about 30 books and over 500 articles on social theory, Marcel Mauss and the sociology of The gift. His most recent book is Extensions du domaine du don: Demander-donner-recevoir-rendre (2019). Frédéric Vandenberghe is Professor of Sociology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he also directs the Sociofilo, the Social Theory Lab. He has published widely on the history of ideas and various aspects of social theory in English, French and Portuguese. With Routledge, he has earlier published A Philosophical History of German Sociology (2009) and What’s Critical about Critical Realism? (2014).

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.