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What for is this theory anyway?

Svenska social- och kommunalhgskolan

vid Helsingfors universitet, 9.12.2009

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

THEORY

here: Theory of society and the individual

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

THEORY

here: Theory of society and the individual

Classical:

Practical Philosophy (Politics&Law and Ethics)

Moral and social philosophy, Political theory,Philosophy of Psychology

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

THEORY

here: Theory of society and the individual

Developed until today:

- Economical theory

- Philosophy of Science, Labour, Medicine,

- Gender theory

- Culture theory

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

CRISIS OF THEORY ?

Academical discourse:

- Post-Modernity: The Enlightenment failed

- 1989-92: Clash of Ideologies has ended

- Western Anti-Intellectualism

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

CRISIS OF THEORY ?

Contemporary Common Sense:

- Anthropology of Homo Economicus

- Empiricist expert replaced the philosopher

- Private life independent from state & society

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

FUNCTIONS OF THEORY

in philosophy and the sciences

- systematic, comprehensive attempts to solve

problems

- analytical tools for understanding, explaining,

and making predictions about a given subject

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

FUNCTIONS OF THEORY

in society and social discourse

Classical:

Making sense of our lives and questioning the

value and meaning of things around usContemporary:

Communication of value and worldview sets,

tool to engineer society

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

CURRENTS OF THEORY

World Systems Theory (Immanuel Wallerstein)

Political Liberalism (John Rawls)

Econophysics (H. Eugene Stanley)

Evolutional Psychology (Cosmides/Tooby)

Marxist Historiography (Eric Hobsbawm)

Post-Feminism (Judith Butler)

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

CURRENTS OF THEORY

World Systems Theory (Immanuel Wallerstein)

Political Liberalism (John Rawls)

Econophysics (H. Eugene Stanley)

Evolutional Psychology (Cosmides/Tooby)

Marxist Historiography (Eric Hobsbawm

Post-Feminism (Judith Butler)

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

FUTURE ROLE OF THEORY ?

Old and New Cleavages:

Economic crisis, environment and natural

resources, international power relations, post-secularism and fundamentalism, industrialtransformations, social change, exclusion,identity evolution, ...

8/14/2019 Falko Blumenthal, What for is this Theory - Presentation

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What for is this theory anyway?

Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

FUTURE ROLE OF THEORY ?

Interdependency of Questions and Answers:

- Discourse needs background

- Availability = democratization of information?

- Complex systems need aedequate tools

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Falko Blumenthal, Hochschule fr Politik Mnchen

READING IDEASBarkow/Cosmides/Tooby, The adapted mind

1992

Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation 1985

Butler, Gender Trouble 1990

Foucalt, The History of Sexuality 1984

Hampton, Political philosophy 1997

Hobsbawm, The Age of Extremes 1994

Hobsbawm, Globalisation, Democracy andTerrorism 2007

Horkheimer, Traditional and Critical Theory 1937

Horowitz, Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and theAmerican Left 2004

Horowitz, www.FrontPageMag.com 2009

Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations 1996

Kohler et al., Globalization. Critical Perspectives2003

Mantegna/Stanley, An Introduction toEconophysics 1999

Persky, Retrospectives: The Ethology of HomoEconomicus, in: The Journal of EconomicPerspectives, Vol. 9, No. 2, Spring 1995

Popper, Conjectures and Refutations 1963

Rawls, Justice as Fairness 2001

Rawls, Political Liberalism 1996

Salih, Judith Butler 2002

Schick, Readings in the Philosophy of Science

2000

Wallerstein, The Modern World-System 1974

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME...

This presentation will be online athttp://tacksaamycket.blogspot.com

Falko Blumenthal

student of Political Sciences and Political Economy at the Munich Schoolof Political Science, visiting student at SSKH 2009/10, specializing inpolitical theory & urban and industrial studies

feel free to contact me on Facebook or by e-mail

http://tacksaamycket.blogspot.com/http://tacksaamycket.blogspot.com/