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Sociological Theory and the Relativistic Paradigm *
Author(s) -
LEMERT CHARLES C.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1974.tb00729.x
Subject(s) - relativism , epistemology , sociology , extant taxon , pluralism (philosophy) , indeterminacy (philosophy) , complementarity (molecular biology) , sociological theory , philosophy , genetics , evolutionary biology , biology
Sociological theory is compared to the relativist paradigm which is found in a variety of contemporary intellectual movements: microphysics, drama, theology, art, music and psychology. The principal elements in the relativist paradigm are: (1) complementarity; (2) indeterminacy: (3) relativity. In contrast to this thought pattern, the apparent pluralism represented in the strict, hermeneutical, and critical schools of sociological theory is shown to be questionable. Extant sociological theory is relatively unified at the epistemic level.