Alvin W.Gouldner

Published in 1999, this book is an exploration of the life and work of American sociologist Alvin W. Gouldner. Gouldner''s life and contribution to legal theory is a case study in the limits of critical, self-reflexive inquiry. Hegel''s dialect is a major theme running throughout Gouldner''s work, and, even throughout his life, Gouldner himself seemed trapped in the unfolding of the spirit through three distinct stages: 1945-1960 - thesis; 1960-1970 - antithesis; and 1970-1980 - synthesis or new thesis. Implications for creating a reflexive critical sociology in Gouldner''s image are discussed.