When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz
This polemic discusses two problematic aspects to the claim of a paradigmatic shift to the new technology-centered symbolic universe, as understood by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The first problematic aspect is connected to the status quo ante transhumanism (before the postulated paradigmatic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii PAN, Komitet Socjologii PAN, Wydział Filozofii i Socjologii UW
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Studia Socjologiczne |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.pan.pl/Content/125234/PDF/Studia_Socjologiczne_2022_nr4_s.173_183.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797954402472951808 |
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| author | Marcin Zaród |
| author_facet | Marcin Zaród |
| author_sort | Marcin Zaród |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This polemic discusses two problematic aspects to the claim of a paradigmatic shift to the new technology-centered symbolic universe, as understood by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The first problematic aspect is connected to the status quo ante transhumanism (before the postulated paradigmatic shift). By discussing cases from pre-modernity and peak modernity, I point out that the discussed claim does not provide satisfactory understanding of the role of technology in society. My counter-argument is built on cases of technoreligious institutions such as abbeys and rocketry research theoretical circles, using works by David Noble as the starting point. The second problematic aspect goes back to the fundamentals of Berger and Luckmann’s concept and its relation to ontology. The discussed proposal mixed this framework with the concept of culture from the Margaret Archer system, which led to a shift in ontological positioning. In effect, some preliminaries about the materiality and dynamics of Berger-Luckmann dialectics are harder to trace in the proposal. This results in problems of operationalization and loss of useful theoretical dialogue with post-constructivist tradition. In the last part of the paper, I sketch other possibilities and challenges for post Berger-Luckman applications in the case of transhumanism and late modernity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:18:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cba0edd67ddf4336bec458a719278fc5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0039-3371 2545-2770 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:18:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii PAN, Komitet Socjologii PAN, Wydział Filozofii i Socjologii UW |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Socjologiczne |
| spelling | doaj.art-cba0edd67ddf4336bec458a719278fc52023-01-12T18:04:33ZengInstytut Filozofii i Socjologii PAN, Komitet Socjologii PAN, Wydział Filozofii i Socjologii UWStudia Socjologiczne0039-33712545-27702022-12-01No 4173183https://doi.org/10.24425/sts.2022.143587When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus LipowiczMarcin Zaród0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-286XUniwersytet WarszawskiThis polemic discusses two problematic aspects to the claim of a paradigmatic shift to the new technology-centered symbolic universe, as understood by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. The first problematic aspect is connected to the status quo ante transhumanism (before the postulated paradigmatic shift). By discussing cases from pre-modernity and peak modernity, I point out that the discussed claim does not provide satisfactory understanding of the role of technology in society. My counter-argument is built on cases of technoreligious institutions such as abbeys and rocketry research theoretical circles, using works by David Noble as the starting point. The second problematic aspect goes back to the fundamentals of Berger and Luckmann’s concept and its relation to ontology. The discussed proposal mixed this framework with the concept of culture from the Margaret Archer system, which led to a shift in ontological positioning. In effect, some preliminaries about the materiality and dynamics of Berger-Luckmann dialectics are harder to trace in the proposal. This results in problems of operationalization and loss of useful theoretical dialogue with post-constructivist tradition. In the last part of the paper, I sketch other possibilities and challenges for post Berger-Luckman applications in the case of transhumanism and late modernity.https://journals.pan.pl/Content/125234/PDF/Studia_Socjologiczne_2022_nr4_s.173_183.pdftranshumanismtechnologymodernitysocial theoryscience and technology studies |
| spellingShingle | Marcin Zaród When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz Studia Socjologiczne transhumanism technology modernity social theory science and technology studies |
| title | When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz |
| title_full | When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz |
| title_fullStr | When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz |
| title_full_unstemmed | When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz |
| title_short | When Social Theory is Devoid of Social History. Reply to “Transhumanism. Human Nature and Culture: A Preliminary Sociological Contextualization” by Markus Lipowicz |
| title_sort | when social theory is devoid of social history reply to transhumanism human nature and culture a preliminary sociological contextualization by markus lipowicz |
| topic | transhumanism technology modernity social theory science and technology studies |
| url | https://journals.pan.pl/Content/125234/PDF/Studia_Socjologiczne_2022_nr4_s.173_183.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcinzarod whensocialtheoryisdevoidofsocialhistoryreplytotranshumanismhumannatureandcultureapreliminarysociologicalcontextualizationbymarkuslipowicz |