Modern and Postmodern Social Theorizing (review)

Although Mouzelis's strenuous argument focuses on sociology and to some extent economics, it may represent a way to move forward in the social sciences more generally. The crux is how to initiate dialogue across theories, across paradigms. Divides in sociology—such as action/structure, micro/macro—are seen as dichotomies to be transcended rather than abolished. The recommended approach is to develop concepts that stimulate communication across these divides. Such concepts, Mouzelis contends, may be very abstract but must also be empirical, resistant to essentialism and leading to a heuristic utility that opens issues rather than imposing closure. And indeed, it would be wonderful if social scientists would so much as consider, even one iota more frequently, the value of building concepts that are empirical and that include worthy elements of disfavored theories. We might get beyond antitheses to inevitable syntheses more efficiently.