The natural law foundations of modern social theory
Subtitle: a quest for universalism
By: Daniel Chernilo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 248
ISBN-13: 9781107009806
Subjects: Natural law; Social aspects; Philosophy; Sociological jurisprudence
Description: "After several decades in which it became a prime target for critique, universalism remains one of the most important issues in social and political thought. Daniel Chernilo reassesses the universalistic orientation of social theory and explains its origins in natural law theory, using an impressive array of classical and contemporary sources that include, among others, Jurgen Habermas, Karl Lowith, Leo Strauss, Weber, Marx, Hegel, Rousseau and Hobbes. 'The Natural Law Foundations of Modern Social Theory' challenges previous accounts of the rise of social theory, recovers a strong idea of humanity and revisits conventional arguments on sociology's relationship to modernity, the Enlightenment and natural law. It reconnects social theory to its scientific and philosophical roots, its descriptive and normative tasks and its historical and systematic planes. Chernilo's defence of universalism for contemporary social theory will surely engage students of sociology, political theory and moral philosophy alike." -- Publisher's description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Contemporary social theory and natural law : Jurgen Habermas; title: A natural-law critique of modern social theory : Karl Lowith, Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin; title: Natural law and the question of universalism; title: Modern natural law I : Hobbes and Rousseau on the state of nature and social life; title: Modern natural law II : Kant and Hegel on proceduralism and ethical life; title: Classical social theory I : Marx, Tonnies and Durkheim on alienation, community and society; title: Classical social theory II : Simmel and Weber on the universality of sociability and reasonableness; title: Social theory as the natural law of 'artificial' social relations.