Patrick Baert
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 182025 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Patrick Baert |
| NOMBRES | Patrick |
| APELLIDO | Baert |
| FIRMA | BAERT P |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8290-2651 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 50 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 208 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 49 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 1 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1991 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2025 |
| ÍNDICE H | 8 |
Universities in the crossfire
This article provides a slightly different take on the issue of polarisation and academic freedom than the one proposed by Sari Hanafi. We contend that students and academics, especially within the humanities and social sciences, tend to exhibit increasing cultural and political homogeneity and growing intolerance towards those who have different views. This leaves the universities culturally and politically isolated at a time when they have come…
Dialogues Towards Sociologies of Generative AI
This article presents a sociological dialogue between six researchers who specialise in different sociological subfields. Each researcher explores the possible consequences of generative AI within their specific area of expertise. More concretely, the article develops insights around directions in social theory, the political economy of intellectual property, matters of identities and intimacies, evidence and evidentiary power, racial and reprodu…
Trauma work' as hindrance to political praxis during democratisation movements
This paper examines the impact of a shift in focus from political praxis to trauma work in the context of a failed democratisation movement. It investigates the various phenomena which emerge when intellectuals, under the traumatic impact of violence and atrocities, place trauma narration at the core of their interventions. Drawing on document analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews with twenty nine exiled Syrian intellec…
Michael Burawoy, Public Sociology
The Theory of Everything
After situating Andreas Reckwitz’s The Society of Singularities within the broader context of the tradition of social theory, we discuss in detail the obvious strengths of this book, notably its impressive range and originality. Subsequently, we elaborate on two limitations of Reckwitz’s argument. Firstly, we argue that Reckwitz’s use of categories such as ‘singularity’ and ‘universality’ is too all-embracing, lacking the clarity and focus needed…
Existence theory
This article introduces 'existence theory' as a new approach to sociological theory and research. Existence theory starts from the assumption that people organise their lives around a limited set of existential milestones. Cultural expectations are such that without the accomplishment of those milestones, individuals may experience their lives as incomplete. Examples of milestones can include the attainment of formal education, a lasting partners…
Introduction to the special issue on existence theory
After exploring the main tenets of existence theory and the affinities between this theory and other philosophical traditions, this introduction lists the central points of each contribution to this special issue. In what follows, we provide a brief synopsis of the critical commentaries by David Inglis, Simon Susen, Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Bryan S. Turner, William Outhwaite, and Thomas Kemple
‘The Fool’ Revisited
This article provides a sociological explanation for the global emergence of Slavoj Žižek as a public intellectual. It presents an integrative account encompassing both personal and institutional aspects. Drawing on positioning theory and performative frameworks, the article contributes to the sociology of intellectuals, as well as to the vast ‘Žižek-literature’ that focuses on his philosophical content or political activities. We analyse the dis…
Existence theory revisited
In this essay, we provide a comprehensive reply to the critical commentaries by David Inglis, Thomas Kemple, William Outhwaite, Simon Susen, Bryan S. Turner, and Robin Wagner-Pacifici. Our reply is structured along three main pillars. Firstly, we clarify what we aim to achieve with existence theory. Drawing on neo-pragmatist philosophy, our aim is to present a new and useful perspective on a wide range of social phenomena; we do not attempt to ta…
Confessions without guilt
Drawing on Austin's speech act theory and on related theories of performativity and positioning, this article analyses the public confessions during the 1990s by three prominent state actors in Turkey about their direct involvement in state crimes against Kurds and left-wing political opponents. All three cases received significant media attention at the time. The aim of the article is not only to shed new light on those specific confessions by t…
Ideas on the Move in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Derek Robbins’ muddle
In this brief essay, Patrick Baert replies to Derek Robbins’ review of his book The Existentialist Moment and of the co-authored book (with Simon Susen) The Sociology of Intellectuals. His main argument is that Robbins’ review is not only longwinded, but also suprisingly muddled, lacking in analytical clarity and precision. The essay also points out two other problems with Robbin’s confusing review. Firstly, Robbins wrongly accuses Baert of not p…
Collectives of intellectuals
As of late, the sociology of intellectuals has made important inroads into its object of study. Much of this has been achieved by problematising the modes of engagement intellectuals undertake and multiplying the types of actor that can be considered to have intellectual authority, going beyond the traditional mould of the 'authoritative' public intellectual. However, relatively few have theorised how intellectuals associate themselves in groups:…
The Dark Side of Podemos
A performative framework for the study of intellectuals
This article introduces a new, performative framework for analysing intellectuals and intellectual interventions. It elaborates on the strengths of this theoretical perspective vis-à-vis rival approaches and develops this frame of reference by exploring key constituent concepts, including positioning, script and staging. The article then exemplifies the framework and demonstrates its applicability by exploring a public intellectual performance by…
The Sociology of Intellectuals
Reflections on Patrick Baert’s The Existentialist Moment
Acting out ideas
Cultural trauma, counter-narratives, and dialogical intellectuals
In this article, we offer a new conceptualization of intellectuals as carriers of cultural trauma through a case study of the Aum Affair, a series of crimes and terrorist attacks committed by the Japanese new religious movement Aum Shinrikyō. In understanding the performative roles intellectuals play in trauma construction, we offer a new dichotomy between “authoritative intellectuals,” who draw on their privileged parcours and status to impose a…
Existentialist Moment
Local Chairs vs International Networks
Pragmatism defended
Introduction
Tensions Within the Public Intellectual
Positioning Theory and Intellectual Interventions
This article sets out the basic principles of a new theory of intellectual interventions centred round the notion of positioning. Intellectual interventions are seen as ways in which intellectuals locate themselves in the socio-political and intellectual field, thereby also positioning others. The existing contributions to the study of intellectuals often take the self-concepts or dispositions of intellectuals to be fixed, and they tend to focus …
Positioning Theory and Intellectual Interventions
This article sets out the basic principles of a new theory of intellectual interventions centred round the notion of positioning. Intellectual interventions are seen as ways in which intellectuals locate themselves in the socio-political and intellectual field, thereby also positioning others. The existing contributions to the study of intellectuals often take the self-concepts or dispositions of intellectuals to be fixed, and they tend to focus …
Tensions Within the Public Intellectual
Existence theory
This article introduces 'existence theory' as a new approach to sociological theory and research. Existence theory starts from the assumption that people organise their lives around a limited set of existential milestones. Cultural expectations are such that without the accomplishment of those milestones, individuals may experience their lives as incomplete. Examples of milestones can include the attainment of formal education, a lasting partners…
A performative framework for the study of intellectuals
This article introduces a new, performative framework for analysing intellectuals and intellectual interventions. It elaborates on the strengths of this theoretical perspective vis-à-vis rival approaches and develops this frame of reference by exploring key constituent concepts, including positioning, script and staging. The article then exemplifies the framework and demonstrates its applicability by exploring a public intellectual performance by…
Unintended Consequences
This paper addresses the question: what is an unintended consequence? It presents a classification which enables us to understand different types of unintended consequences. The classification refers to several questions: whether or not the effects are social, whether they are desirable, whether they fulfil the initial intention, whether they are unanticipated, and whether they occur later than the initial action. The classification is used to de…
Acting out ideas
Towards a Pragmatist-Inspired Philosophy of Social Science
The article reflects on the possibility of a social science that aims at self-referential knowledge-acquisition. This form of social research explores and questions deep-seated presuppositions prevalent in contemporary culture and strives to become aware of other forms of life. This view of social sciences, therefore, is perfectly in line with the pragmatist perspective that language and knowledge, rather than acts of representation, allow people…
The Causes of Human Behavior; Implications for Theory and Method in the Social Sciences
Acknowledging that though the disciplines are supposed to be cumulative, there is little in the way of accumulated, general theory, this work opens a dialogue about the appropriate means and ends of social research based in analysis of fundamental issues.This book examines two root issues in the methodology of explanatory social research--the meaning of the idea of causation in social science and the question of the physiological mechanism that g…
The sudden rise of French existentialism
University under siege
This paper explores the changes that are taking place in European higher education: a shift from the Humboldtian notion of the university to one that operates under quasi-market pressures. While increasing the culture of accountability in universities, this development, linked to shifts in their sponsorship and associated ‘missions’, is associated with an erosion of traditional mechanisms of trust. The focus is on UK experience, which is now exte…
Pragmatism, Realism and Hermeneutics
Cultural trauma, counter-narratives, and dialogical intellectuals
In this article, we offer a new conceptualization of intellectuals as carriers of cultural trauma through a case study of the Aum Affair, a series of crimes and terrorist attacks committed by the Japanese new religious movement Aum Shinrikyō. In understanding the performative roles intellectuals play in trauma construction, we offer a new dichotomy between “authoritative intellectuals,” who draw on their privileged parcours and status to impose a…
Pragmatism as a Philosophy of the Social Sciences
This article introduces and critically analyses Richard Rorty's neo-pragmatism as a contribution to the philosophy of social sciences. Although Rorty has written little about philosophy of social sciences as such, it is argued that his overall philosophical position has significant ramifications for this subject area. The first part of the article sets out the implications of Rorty's neo-pragmatism for various issues in the philosophy of social s…
Algumas limitações das explicações da escolha racional na Ciência Política e na Sociologia
O artigo tem por objetivo construir uma análise crítica das explicações da teoria da escolha racional nas ciências sociais. O argumento consiste em quatro partes. Primeiro, os teóricos da escolha racional não conseguem reconhecer completamente a diferença entre uma pessoa agindo como se fosse racional e uma pessoa agindo movida pela racionalidade. Em segundo lugar, embora a maioria desses teóricos aceite que a racionalidade está algumas vezes inc…
Collectives of intellectuals
As of late, the sociology of intellectuals has made important inroads into its object of study. Much of this has been achieved by problematising the modes of engagement intellectuals undertake and multiplying the types of actor that can be considered to have intellectual authority, going beyond the traditional mould of the 'authoritative' public intellectual. However, relatively few have theorised how intellectuals associate themselves in groups:…
Richard Rorty's Pragmatism and the Social Sciences
Foucault's history of the present as self-referential knowledge acquisition
Underlying this article is the conviction that social scientists typically take on board a too restrictive concept of knowledge acquisition. The paper propounds a new concept of knowledge acquisition, one which is self-referential (i.e. which affects one's presuppositions) and which draws upon the unfamiliar to reveal and undercut the familiar. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it is to show that this concept of knowledge acqui sition is a…
Time, Reflectivity and Social Action
The object of this article is to present the outline of a temporalised sociology, emphasising novelty and diachrony, and linking the shorter and longer temporal spans. This temporalised sociology draws upon a critical reassessment of four theoretical traditions: positivism, functionalism, structuralism and ethnomethodology. These four traditions fail to take temporality into account, but more fruitful ideas are borrowed from them. A more importan…
Local Chairs vs International Networks
Pragmatism defended
Jean-Paul Sartre's positioning in Anti-Semite and Jew
This article is one of the first to employ positioning theory to analyse an intellectual product. After introducing the theory itself, it explores how Sartre's book Réflexions sur la question juive enabled him to locate himself within, as well as intervene in, the socio-political and intellectual context at the time. Using the text, Sartre positioned himself as an authoritative public intellectual: that is, a generalist, drawing on his vast cultu…
New Pragmatism and Old Europe
Trauma work' as hindrance to political praxis during democratisation movements
This paper examines the impact of a shift in focus from political praxis to trauma work in the context of a failed democratisation movement. It investigates the various phenomena which emerge when intellectuals, under the traumatic impact of violence and atrocities, place trauma narration at the core of their interventions. Drawing on document analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews with twenty nine exiled Syrian intellec…
The Theory of Everything
After situating Andreas Reckwitz’s The Society of Singularities within the broader context of the tradition of social theory, we discuss in detail the obvious strengths of this book, notably its impressive range and originality. Subsequently, we elaborate on two limitations of Reckwitz’s argument. Firstly, we argue that Reckwitz’s use of categories such as ‘singularity’ and ‘universality’ is too all-embracing, lacking the clarity and focus needed…
Introduction
Unintended Consequences
This paper addresses the question: what is an unintended consequence? It presents a classification which enables us to understand different types of unintended consequences. The classification refers to several questions: whether or not the effects are social, whether they are desirable, whether they fulfil the initial intention, whether they are unanticipated, and whether they occur later than the initial action. The classification is used to de…
Time, Reflectivity and Social Action
The object of this article is to present the outline of a temporalised sociology, emphasising novelty and diachrony, and linking the shorter and longer temporal spans. This temporalised sociology draws upon a critical reassessment of four theoretical traditions: positivism, functionalism, structuralism and ethnomethodology. These four traditions fail to take temporality into account, but more fruitful ideas are borrowed from them. A more importan…
Algumas limitações das explicações da escolha racional na Ciência Política e na Sociologia
O artigo tem por objetivo construir uma análise crítica das explicações da teoria da escolha racional nas ciências sociais. O argumento consiste em quatro partes. Primeiro, os teóricos da escolha racional não conseguem reconhecer completamente a diferença entre uma pessoa agindo como se fosse racional e uma pessoa agindo movida pela racionalidade. Em segundo lugar, embora a maioria desses teóricos aceite que a racionalidade está algumas vezes inc…
Foucault's history of the present as self-referential knowledge acquisition
Underlying this article is the conviction that social scientists typically take on board a too restrictive concept of knowledge acquisition. The paper propounds a new concept of knowledge acquisition, one which is self-referential (i.e. which affects one's presuppositions) and which draws upon the unfamiliar to reveal and undercut the familiar. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it is to show that this concept of knowledge acqui sition is a…
Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science
The Causes of Human Behavior; Implications for Theory and Method in the Social Sciences
Acknowledging that though the disciplines are supposed to be cumulative, there is little in the way of accumulated, general theory, this work opens a dialogue about the appropriate means and ends of social research based in analysis of fundamental issues.This book examines two root issues in the methodology of explanatory social research--the meaning of the idea of causation in social science and the question of the physiological mechanism that g…
The End of Prophecy
This comment is in response to Frederic L. Pryor (2000). “The Millennium Survey: How Economists View the U.S. Economy in the 21 st Century.” The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 59 (January), pp. 3‐33
Richard Rorty's Pragmatism and the Social Sciences
Pragmatism, Realism and Hermeneutics
New Pragmatism and Old Europe
Pragmatism as a Philosophy of the Social Sciences
This article introduces and critically analyses Richard Rorty's neo-pragmatism as a contribution to the philosophy of social sciences. Although Rorty has written little about philosophy of social sciences as such, it is argued that his overall philosophical position has significant ramifications for this subject area. The first part of the article sets out the implications of Rorty's neo-pragmatism for various issues in the philosophy of social s…
University under siege
This paper explores the changes that are taking place in European higher education: a shift from the Humboldtian notion of the university to one that operates under quasi-market pressures. While increasing the culture of accountability in universities, this development, linked to shifts in their sponsorship and associated ‘missions’, is associated with an erosion of traditional mechanisms of trust. The focus is on UK experience, which is now exte…
Philosophy of the Social Sciences
Towards a Pragmatist-Inspired Philosophy of Social Science
The article reflects on the possibility of a social science that aims at self-referential knowledge-acquisition. This form of social research explores and questions deep-seated presuppositions prevalent in contemporary culture and strives to become aware of other forms of life. This view of social sciences, therefore, is perfectly in line with the pragmatist perspective that language and knowledge, rather than acts of representation, allow people…
Social theory and the social sciences
Social theory and the social sciences - 1
Contextualizing Max Weber
Conflict, Citizenship and Civil Society
1. Introduction Partick Baert and Sokratis Koniordos Part 1: Conceptual Explorations 2. New Challenges to Citizenship Giovanna Procacci 3.Civil Society and Citizenship in Early and Late Modernity Nikos Mouzelis 4. Reflexivity's Transformations: The Demise of Routine Action and its Consequences for Civil Society Margaret S. Archer 5. Conflict, Citizenship and Civil Society: How Emerging Social Conflicts Challenge Social Science Approaches Donatell…
Research with a Purpose
Conflict, Citizenship and Civil Society
Neo-Pragmatim and Phenomenology
This article introduces a new pragmatist-inspired perspective on the social sciences. It explores the relevance of neo-pragmatism for the philosophy of the social sciences, showing how it can lead to innovative and groundbreaking social research. The paper attempts to drive home these insights by elaborating on the affinities of neo-pragmatism with some Continental philosophers who have engaged with Husserl’s phenomenology, notably Gadamer, Levin…
New methodological approaches to the study of classics of social theory and sociology
Jean-Paul Sartre's positioning in Anti-Semite and Jew
This article is one of the first to employ positioning theory to analyse an intellectual product. After introducing the theory itself, it explores how Sartre's book Réflexions sur la question juive enabled him to locate himself within, as well as intervene in, the socio-political and intellectual context at the time. Using the text, Sartre positioned himself as an authoritative public intellectual: that is, a generalist, drawing on his vast cultu…
The power struggle of French intellectuals at the end of the Second World War
This article is one of the first sociological explorations of power struggles between intellectuals where matters of life and death are literally at stake. It counters the prevailing tendency within sociology to study intellectuals within confined academic institutions where power struggles are limited to matters of symbolic and institutional recognition. This study explores the conflict between collaborationist and Resistance intellectuals at th…
Introduction to the special section on Intellectuals and Politics
The sudden rise of French existentialism
Sociology (41 obras) · Epistemology (32 obras) · Philosophy (32 obras) · Political science (20 obras) · Law (19 obras) · Social science (19 obras) · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice (16 obras) · Politics (16 obras) · Philosophy (14 obras) · Social and Cultural Dynamics (13 obras)