Social change resists explanation within any single social science

Evidence

Since sociology as an independent science was not established before the 19th century, the theory of society up to that time was an integral part of philosophy or of those sciences (such as the economic or juristic), the conceptual structure of which was to a large extent based upon specific philosophical doctrines. This intrinsic connection between philosophy and the theory of society (a connection which will be explained in the text) formulates the pattern of all particular theories of social change occurring in the ancient world, in the middle ages, and on the commencement of modern times. One decisive result is the emphasis on the fact that social change cannot be interpreted within a particular social science, but must be understood within the social and natural totality of human life. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 28

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the Frankfurt School’s holistic methodological premise: society must be theorized in total, not within disciplinary silos.
• XREF: connects to: Plato’s Republic is best read as a theory of social change — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 29; Social change resists purely instrumental explanations because actors inhabit multiple temporalities — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular:…, 1064; Social change unfolds across escalating levels of relations of force — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 767 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Social change resists purely instrumental explanations because actors inhabit multiple temporalities #expands (0.80) — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 1064
• Social change unfolds across escalating levels of relations of force #expands (0.75) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 767