Critical Theory and Sociological Theory

Darrow Schecter is Professor of Critical Theory and Modern European History at the University of Sussex

'Sociological theory often seems remote from the everyday realities of coping with economic and democratic crises. Darrow Schecter here gives the lie to that prejudice, showing through a careful, thoughtful and original analysis how contemporary sociology can throw refreshing and practical light on major issues often regarded as the monopoly of economists and political scientists.'Colin Crouch, FBA, University of Warwick'Darrow Schecter offers a convincing analysis of the distinct variants of populism and transnational constitutionalism in contemporary world society. He thereby invites readers to rethink the future of western democracies at a time when the key institutions of statehood are clearly involved in a process of significant transition.'Alberto Febbrajo, University of Macerata‘This is a pioneering project: the book elaborates a critical systems theory approach to twenty-first century world society by combining insights from the first generation of Frankfurt School critical theory and Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory. After demonstrating that individual social systems are incommensurable, Schecter examines the relation between statehood and transnational capitalism. On this basis he shows how contemporary society could be democratised.’Kolja Möller, Centre of European Law and Politics, University of Bremen

• Introduction1 Reconsidering the theoretical preconditions of modern democratic statehood: on mediated unity and overarching legal-political form2 Mediated unity in question: on the relation between law, politics, and other social systems in modern societies3 Functional differentiation and mediated unity in question: looming constitutional conflicts between the de-centralist logic of FD and the bio-political steering of austerity and global governance4 Dilemmas of contemporary statehood: on the sociological paradoxes of weak dialectical formalism and embedded neo-liberalism5 Re-thinking inclusion beyond unity and mediation beyond discretionary steering: on social systems and societal constitutionsConclusion: democratic state, capitalist society, or dysfunctional differentiation?Index