Sociología y opinión pública: desmontando un dispositivo

This article is based on the hypothesis about the successful extension of the idea that suggests the main task of sociology is conducting public opinion surveys, and that this idea would have become a knowledge/power device, in Foucault’s terms. The main objective of this article is to dismantle such a device by analyzing both its shortcomings and deficiencies. For shortcomings, it carries out a historical-conceptual analysis about the “public opinion” concept and the industry developed around, noting its epistemological and methodological assumptions, making use of current examples of opinion surveys carried out in Chile and abroad. For the analysis of deficiencies, on the other hand, it proposes to understand the sociological activity as an inherently explanatory science not reducible to any method. Once the device has been dismantled, it concludes that it is not possible to measure the public opinion through surveys as a sociological practice.