To poeticize - to theorize
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37062/sf.63.28203Keywords:
theorizing, poeticizing, the romantic operation, the sociological gaze, sociological-operational intelligenceAbstract
Richard Swedberg has put the theme of “theorizing” on the international sociological agenda. The article begins by exploring the surprising parallels that can be found between Swedberg's The Art of Social Theory and the work of the Romantic writer Friedrich von Hardenberg. The thesis is that the latter’s ideas about poeticization, the Romantic operation, the art of invention, experimentation, and the use of analogy can help to cast light on the process that Swedberg calls theorizing. In a second step, these arguments are further developed with the help of the German sociologist Gerhard Schulze’s reflections on the sociological craft, particularly his thoughts on the sociological gaze and the sociological-operational intelligence. The aim is to make a contribution to the following questions: What are we doing when we theorize in sociology? How can we learn to become better at theorizing? The overall aim of the article is primarily explorative.
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