Contemporary Social Theory

Author: Gao Xuanhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Under the vast starry sky, we do not acknowledge any absolute prophets, nor do we acknowledge any absolute authority. We hope we can always freely focus on what we wish to focus on and speak what we wish to speak. As a spiritual product of intellectual creation, social theory consists of two main constituent factors: knowledge accumulation and intellectual creation. The former relies on the accumulation of historical development and is gradual; the latter depends on the spiritual creation of thinkers, which is essentially discontinuous and leapfrogging. The emergence and popularity of any mode of thinking are determined by the specific historical and cultural background and the state of traditional factors. On one hand, due to the limitations of the aforementioned specific conditions, the emergence and development of any mode of thinking are inherently limited; on the other hand, once a mode of thinking emerges and develops, it produces objective and effective results and influences that cannot be restricted or controlled by subjective human power, nor can it be immediately and comprehensively replaced by any new mode of thinking chosen subjectively.
—Gao Xuanhang
The Western major social theories that emerged after the 1960s are the theoretical crystallization of the long-term development of social thought in various Western countries across different eras. They represent the most important theoretical foundation for contemporary Western social sciences, including sociology. After comprehensively discussing the basic characteristics, socio-historical background of emergence and development, fundamental developmental trajectory, and major explored topics of contemporary social theory from a high-altitude perspective, this book further elaborates in detail, with the latest available data, the basic content and evolutionary trajectory of the "postmodern social theory," "social theory constructed in the life world," "reconstruction and new development of systemic functionalism," "from structuralism to structuration theory," and "critical social theory," based on their fundamental characteristics and thematic nature. For scholars who wish to systematically understand and grasp the basic content and developmental trajectory of contemporary social theory, this work is undoubtedly a must-have on their desk; for experts and scholars researching this field of contemporary social theory, the book also provides valuable insights and inspiration for reference.