Ahmed Gurnah formerly taught Sociology at Sheffield Polytechnic, and Alan Scott teaches Sociology at the University of East Anglia.

• Part I Formalism and the formation of sociological discourse 1. Empiricism and positivism in history and sociology 2. Philosophical formalism and the development of sociology Part II Formalism in contemporary sociology 3. Claude Levi-Strauss: universal categories and the end of racism 4. Jurgen Habermas: universal categories and the primary of the Occient Part III Some consequences of formalism for sociological analysis 5. Modernization, modernity and beyond: recent trends in social theory 6. Conclusion: theory and history

Ahmed Gurnah formerly taught Sociology at Sheffield Polytechnic, and Alan Scott teaches Sociology at the University of East Anglia.

• Part I Formalism and the formation of sociological discourse 1. Empiricism and positivism in history and sociology 2. Philosophical formalism and the development of sociology Part II Formalism in contemporary sociology 3. Claude Levi-Strauss: universal categories and the end of racism 4. Jurgen Habermas: universal categories and the primary of the Occient Part III Some consequences of formalism for sociological analysis 5. Modernization, modernity and beyond: recent trends in social theory 6. Conclusion: theory and history