Existentialism

Sociology Of Radical Commitment

Name: Sociology Of Radical Commitment
Author: Gary Backhaus
ISBN: 9780739119440

by Gary Backhaus

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Overview

In this stunning collection of essays, editors Gary Backhaus and George Psathas present the life and thought of Kurl H. Wolff, a Jewish refugee from Darmstadt, student of Karl Mannheim, practitioner of the sociology of knowledge, translator of the classic German texts, and creator of the radical existential sociology of surrender-and-catch. Two interviews provide an autobiographical portrait, while personal testimonies by those closest to Wolff grant the reader a more intimate insight into his subjectivity. Several chapters are also devoted to identifying Wolff's place in the sociological tradition-especially in light of his work in the sociology of knowledge-and detail creative work in the further development of his thought. The aim of the book is to explicate Wolff's relation to the tradition and orientation to which he belongs, while at the same time demonstrating how he developed a sociology of radical commitment. Wolff's hope is to find possibilities for humankind that lead us out of the crises for which traditional scientia has been disappointingly innefective, and this volume is essential to students wishing to expand the pursuit of sociological knowledge.

Synopsis

This is the first volume to present commentaries on the existential sociology of Kurt H. Wolff_including autobiographical, biographical, exegetic, and creative developmental articulation of his radical thought. The theme of the book connects Wolff to the sociological tradition while at the same time explicates his profound departure from the tradition.