Biology and Evolutionary Social Theory in the early and mid 19th Century While efforts to understand the process of social change during the Enlightenment were envisioned as a form of “social Newtonism”, evolutionary social theory in the early and mid-19th century increasingly looked to Naturalism as its model science. At the same time, Empiricism, … Continue reading Evolutionary Social Theory Chapter Two: Overview
Category: Social Theory
Evolutionary Social Theory: Chapter One Overview
Chapter One Social Newtonism and the Origins of Evolutionary Social Theory Introduction In this chapter I examine the origins of Evolutionary Social Theory and its relationship to Political Economy during the Enlightenment. I argue that social theory during this period can be usefully thought of as “Social Newtonism”, by which I mean the application … Continue reading Evolutionary Social Theory: Chapter One Overview
Introduction to Evolutionary Social Theory
This is the current Introduction to my book, Evolutionary Social Theory which I anticipate will be forthcoming with Routledge within the next year. I anticipate having a completed draft of the study in approximately 3 months. As you may note reading back over this blog, there have been substantial modifications in the scope of this … Continue reading Introduction to Evolutionary Social Theory
Evolutionary Social Theory: Progress
After a significant amount of additional research and some initial difficulties in actually getting my thoughts down on paper, my book project, Evolutionary Social Theory is now well underway, with two draft chapters essentially complete. I have an official contract with Routledge and I'm working on a two year timeline with a goal of approximately … Continue reading Evolutionary Social Theory: Progress
Conspiracy Theories Part 2
In my previous post on this topic, I referenced the case of Joy Karega, whose employment at Oberlin College came to an end, due, to anti-semitic posts on her Facebook page as well as her advocacy of the theory that the CIA and Mossad, deliberately created ISIS as part of a larger policy agenda to … Continue reading Conspiracy Theories Part 2
Are we really all constructivists now?
I've taught International Political Economy for 20 years and to be fair, I've tended to give Constructivism short shrift, choosing instead to devote my time to Realism, Liberalism and Marxism. This semester however, I decided to be a bit more thorough, and hopefully fair, about the possible contributions and shortcomings of Constructivism. In the process … Continue reading Are we really all constructivists now?
Chomsky vs. Zizek?
Noam Chomsky makes some interesting points in this video about Slavoj Zizek and Zizek raises some valid points in response. I'm a little torn about who to side with in this dispute. There's a debate/discussion worth having here, and I actually find myself wishing for an actual Chomsky-Zizek debate. Chomsky has been one of … Continue reading Chomsky vs. Zizek?
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