One social universe, one universal language to fully describe and explain it, breaking free from the "multiple paradigmastasis" of mainstream social science. A general, long range social theory assigned to the service of social science as a whole must be capable of making all social phenomena intelligible through one unique, cogent and standardized framework of concepts and tenets for explanation-generation, thus finally enabling all research purposes to ultimately benefit from the same theoretical devices. That is precisely what this book ultimately delivers, in a powerful heuristic manner, allowing for thorough scientific investigation and deep understanding of empirical events and trends, satisfying even the most demanding curiosities and encompassing Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science as a strong and coherent backbone for those disciplines. The eminent English sociologist T. Bottomore, capturing the spirit of time experienced by the social sciences at the end of the 20th century, said that there is "a pervasive dissatisfaction with the continuing divisions and fragmentation" within those sciences. He asserted that it remains an "open question whether a more unified and intellectually coherent discipline will eventually emerge, fulfilling some part of the original hope and promise of a simple paradigmatic science of society". Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, a proposal appears compatible with what he foresaw through this book. The Social Universe offers a groundbreaking and pioneering outlook and has the purpose of positing exactly what a new Grand Theory for the social sciences might consist of. Social action, social order, social change and culture are here theoretically integrated like never before. Unafraid to tackle controversial matters of epistemology, the author conclusively addresses classic problems of social theory and philosophy, arguably transcending them entirely, including the micro / macro link and the agency / structure question. Proper social ontology is established in a solid manner and the barriers between scientific disciplines clearly restored, with a pipeline of communicating vessels running throughout the social sciences. To battle onto-epistemic confusion, pluriperspectivism and heteroglossia, the author advances what may be a true theoretical panacea, named the General Social Theory of Compromises (G-STOC). This volume is an invaluable sourcebook for students and social science faculty interested in a new, powerful and foundational social theory.
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