SOCIOLOGY SEMINAR

CRITICS OF SOCIAL
THEORY

BY
NISARGA K MANE
ROLL.NO- 05
 CRITICS OF SOCIAL THEORY
1) POST-MODERN THEORY IS
CRITICIZED FOR ITS FAILURE
TO LIVE UO TO MODERN
SCIEMTIFIC
STANDARDS,STANDARDS
THAT POST MODERNISTS
ESCHEW.

2) SINCE THE KNOWLEDGE

PRODUCED BY
POSTMODERNISTS CANNOT BE
SEEN AS CONSTITUTING A
BODY IF SCIENTIFIC IDEAS IT
MIGHT BE BETTER TO LOOK AT
POST MODERN SOCIAL THEORY
AS IDEOLOGY. ONCW WE DO
THAT IT IS NO LONGER A
MATTER OF WHETHER OR NOT
THE IDEAS ARE TRUE,BIT
SIMPLY WHETHER OR NOT WE
BELIEVE IN THEM.

3) BECAUSE THEY ARE

UNCONSTRAINDED BY THE
NORMS OF SCIENCE,POST
MODERNISTS ARE FREE TO DO
AS THEY PLEASE,TO PLAY WITH
A WIDE RANGE OF IDEAS.

4) POST MODERN IDEAS ARE

ALWAYS SO VAGUE, ABSTRACT
THAT IT IS DIFFICULT ,IF IT NOT
IMPOSSIBLE TO CONNECT THM
TO THE SOCIAL WORLD.THE
READER IS UNAWARE OF THE
ORIGINAL MEANING ,IS
UNCLEAR ABOUT VARIOUS
CHANGES.

5) DESPITE THEIR PROPENSITY

TO CRITICIZE THE GRAND
NARRATIVES OF MODERN
THEORIES, POST MODERN
SOCIAL THEORISTS OFTEN
OFFER THEIR OWN VARIETIES
OF SUVH NARRATIVES.
6) POST MODEEN THEORISTS
OFTEN OFFER CRITIQUES OF
MODERN SOCIETY, BUT THOSE
THEORISTS ARE OF
QUESTIONABLE VALIDITY SINCE
THEY LACK A NORMATIVE BASIS
WITH WHICH TO MAKE SUCH
JUDGEMENTS.

7) GIVEN THEIR REJECTION OF

INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT AND
SUBJECTIVITY , POST
MODERNISTS OFTEN LACK A
THEORY OF AGENCY.
8) POST MODERN SOCIAL
THEORISTS ARE BEST AT
CRITIQUING SOCIETY, BUT THEY
LACK AT ANY VISION OF WHATB
SOCIETY OUGHT TO BE.
9) THIS THEORY LEADS TO
PROFOUND PESSIMISM.
10) WHILE THE THEORISTS
GRAPPLE WITH WHAT THEY
CONSIDER TO BE MAJOR
SOCIAL ISSUES , THEY OFTEN
END UP IGNORING WHAT MANY
CONSIDER THE KEY OF
PROBLEMS OF OUR TIME.