SOCY 122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Northrop Frye, Metatheory, Michel Foucault
15 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Thinking Sociologically
January 9, 2017
Foundational issues to consider and examine:
- What is the fundamental basis to social life?
- What is the foundation to scientific knowledge?
- What is the foundation to knowledge*
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Metatheory, science, language and sociology:
- The framework involves some central issues in metatheory:
o Sociology as a science
o Science as an art
o The role of language in science
o Elements of an integrated sociological conception of social life (micro/macro;
structure/agency; relational nature of social reality; reflexivity)
Engaging with the world:
- Northrop Frye The Educated Imagination:
o How we engage with the world
o His objective to show the importance of the arts
o Focus on the relationship of science to the arts to better understand science
o To then appreciate sociology as a science
- Three levels of engagement:
o Contemplative/speculative—nouns and adjectives
▪ The world is external and opposed to us
▪ Intellect and emotions act separately
▪ Intellect assesses (makes sense of the world; classifies, categorizes)
▪ Emotions give us a sense or “feel” for the world
▪ The language of nouns and adjectives
▪ The language of “self expression”
▪ A feeling of “identification” with the world
▪ It is where science and the arts begin
▪ Until you feel you don’t like something
• As long as we like what we see we will continue to assess it
• When we want to change something – that is when something
changes
o Action – verbs
▪ “I don’t like something” means you want to change something
▪ The “humanization” of the world – a world in which human intervention
has taken place
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Document Summary
Three levels of engagement: contemplative/speculative nouns and adjectives. Two aspects of the mind: intellect the basis for science, emotions the basis for the arts. Stems from the interface/opposition of intellect and the world (the empirical) Seeks regularities makes precise sense of the world. Draws upon creativity of emotions and imagination grasping complex relationships: scientists are emotionally involved in the world that they are studying. Language is a critical dimension of science conceptual development. Limitless potential no possibility of progress to imagine better? . Part of the world of action a human construct that inspires, reflects, disturbs. To create an identity with the world moves towards the empirical (science) Employs aspects of reality and life experience with imagination. Science and the arts do diverge; but they also converge considerably. Like science, sociology is committed to the analysis and comprehension of a relatively enduring reality.
