Questions tagged [sociology]

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Why is always spoken of a 'game' in sociologic subjects?

I nearly heard it everytime in sociologic matters, e.g. in a description for the sociologist itself ("A sociologitst is, who's professionally trying to understand the game of individuals in groups") ...
RumelDilDumpel's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
315 views

Philosophy of Synergy and Collaboration [closed]

So I'm trying to study sociology and the science of human collaboration. Are there particularly throrogh books on this topic that anyone knows of? And indeed I am looking mainly at the philosophy ...
Jabari King's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
938 views

Reading material about gender studies/feminism

I took a gender studies course in undergrad, and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth about the whole topic. Maybe it was because I was older than many of the other students, or because the ...
Eric Auld's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
168 views

Why do so many people persist on using classifications with no bases in reality whatsoever?

E.g. the borders of countries: They are formed by arbitrary "rules": Sometimes rivers and coasts, but mostly due wars and other weird, historical stuff that doesn't really exist in a reality outside ...
Perik Onti's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
464 views

Is it moral to lie to the populace for their own good?

There is a discussion in the History arm of StackExchange that got sidetracked into the merit of brainwashing society for their own good, as advocated in Plato's Republic. IMO that side track deserves ...
Michael's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
698 views

Weber and Marx - Modern Culture and Dominant Culture

Not sure if this is the right forum, but this seems to be the best fit. IF there is a better forum, please direct me. Marx and Weber are both concerned with the role of "culture" or "idea/ideology" ...
Bob the Builds's user avatar
4 votes
7 answers
11k views

Can society exist without hierarchy?

If we consider "a society" to be a group of individuals within the same species who cooperate for the benefit of the group as a whole, then it is reasonable to say that all human societies are ...
Jonno Bourne's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
842 views

Is science a social process, rather than a method for finding the truth?

I have encountered an argument that I find interesting, but cannot understand the principles behind. It is simply as the title states: Science is not a method for finding the truth, it is a method ...
shieldfoss's user avatar
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0 answers
160 views

What are prominent pro-war 20th century philosphers?

I'm asking from a sociological perspective here. Motivation: I wonder if it is true that technological development is better during war time, and if so, why? Is it because the review process is ...
Nikolaj-K's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
323 views

Are your actions for every type of determinism determined before your birth?

We had this little discussion in class. Are your actions for every type of determinism determined before your birth? We're discussing traditional theories, so Quantum Mechanics aren't relevant (yet). ...
user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
505 views

If there is progress in philosophy, Why is there no philosophers or thinkers as important today as in the past? [closed]

Why don't we have thinkers in the present time (or recent times) that have the same caliber as Albert Einstein, Archimedes, Socrates, Shakespeare, Freud, Aristotle, Plato, Darwin, Popper and all the ...
Jason's user avatar
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2 answers
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Which philosophers talk about social power structures?

Can anyone recommend philosophers that are concerned with what structures power relationships in society, particularly in workplaces? I know that Foucault's work was concerned with this in ...
Andrew Welch's user avatar
17 votes
7 answers
1k views

Can we tell whether human groups or societies are behaving as superorganisms?

An anthill can be described as a superorganism, with behaviours and interactions much more complex than those of an individual ant. We could find analogies between the superorganism and other living ...
rraallvv's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
3k views

What is virginity from a philosophical perspective? [closed]

What is virginity in philosophers perspective? How do philosophers see virginity while its being a value and as part of a practicing religious belief? How do philosophers see this from their ...
Neocortex's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
388 views

What is the intrinsic difference between freedom of speech and freedom of deeds?

What are philosophical reasons for approving of freedom of speech but not of freedom of deeds? If teasing the others by speech is allowed, why not by deeds? If freedom of deeds is wrong, then why ...
owari's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
611 views

Which writers might offer critical readings of Luhmann?

Niklas Luhmann introduces the so called Binary Code in his Systems Theory. Any system has its own binary code. For example, in science the code is "the truth vs. not the truth". Which writers might ...
Bob's user avatar
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9 votes
5 answers
27k views

What is the difference between Functionalism and Structural-Functionalism?

I don't know if I should ask this here because the question is more like a sociology one. Anyway, I will give it a try, since most of the sociologists are also philosophers, so maybe I'll be lucky ...
sfrj's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
438 views

Which if any contemporary philosophers have written about the potential negative effects of "reverse" discrimination?

In many cases when I talk about how I think, I find it useful to abstract the messy real sources of inspiration into a pure dialogue with my friend Matt. In this case, Matt and I were talking about ...
davidlowryduda's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
1k views

What is the practical usefulness of post-modernist sociology à la Foucault, e.g. of the insight that "insanity is merely a label applied by society"?

Foucault says what constitutes insanity is a label determined by society. Whether someone is sane or insane is not a clear, objective fact. I do not disagree. He says this labelling can be dangerous. ...
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