Sociological field, fractal distinctions and morals: On emergence of analytical sociology

Abstract

In the past quarter of century, sociology encountered several distinct attempts that assign themselves a task of ample reconstruction of disciplinary grounds. Analytical sociology grows among these, as a peculiar tangle of solutions filled with causalist language common to epistemology which preceded the relativist blow in the 1960s, focused on explaining the individual actions as ?original? sense of sociologist?s job and restoration of Merton?s mid-range theory. By following Pierre Bourdieu?s theory of scientific field and the Andrew Abbott?s model of fractal distinctions, this paper seeks to discern the emergence of analytical sociology. Unlike the two ?common? alternatives in science studies - constructivism and realism, these approaches offer richer ground for tracing of scientific flows, by focusing on amalgamations that form scientists? practices through divisions, conventions, acclamations and mutual evaluations. Their particular advantage also is in treatment of moral dimension of scientific endeavour. After offering a brief consideration of these standpoints, we proceed by discerning the crucial segments of analytical program - its theoretical sources, the key concept of mechanism supported with specific theory of causality that prioritizes rational choices of individuals and finally, simulation method and agent-based modeling. At the end, we seek to discern the moral dimensions of both the analytical sociology and its critiques: of mechanism, as spontaneous order of social reality emerging from voluntary acts and conscious choices and the way in which a sociologist, as a professional, should treat suchlike conformity.