Razmeđa savremene sociologije ili put ka sintezi? / The Boundaries of Contemporary Sociology or the Road to Synthesis?

Abstract

Social reality appears ordered to the members of society only because they are actively involved in its creation. This period of order and regulation of social reality enables that reality to be understandable to its members. In order to survive, they must constitute a world of meaning and live within it. Without symbols there would be no human interaction and no human society. But the task of sociology is the “deconstruction” of symbols and their meanings and the construction of the world of meanings adopted by members of society on the way to building a community that strives for the “common good”. In order for new meanings not to become an “ideological network” for individuals and collectivities, the basis of sociological research should be focused on three levels of their analysis: epistemological-logical, structural-historical, anthropological-ontological. On this path, fundamental knowledge of social sciences and humanities is necessary. The choice of knowledge of scientific disciplines and their methods in deciphering the symbols of social reality will be conditioned by the need of the moment.