Chemical Metaphors in Sociological Discourse
Durkheim Through the Imagery of Rousseau
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2404604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Teresa Sousa Fernandes (Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2008 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 447-466 |
| Publication date | 2008-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Classical Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1468-795X • E-ISSN: 1741-2897 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1468795x08095207 |
| OpenAlex | W2099010023 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 11 |
This article addresses the role of chemical ideas in the formation of sociological discourse, focusing on the works of Rousseau and Durkheim. The opposition between physics and chemistry, as envisaged by Rousseau and the encyclopaedists, was transposed to social philosophy. This procedure is at the origin of contrasting sociological concepts. 'Aggregation' and 'association', in particular, are metaphors of the physical and the chemical object, respectively. It is shown that these Rousseauian constructions form the matrix of Durkheim's definition of the sui generis nature of collective representations. The interpretation is centred on the concept of synthesis as it relates to chemical notions of 'affinity' and 'combination'. I reassess, in this context, the continuity of Durkheim's thought
Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Interpretation (philosophy · Linguistics · Opposition (politics · Politics · Sociological theory · Sociology · Emile Durkheim and Sociology · Historical and Scientific Studies · Law · Philosophy · Social Representations and Identity
A Discourse on Political Economy
Discourse on the origin and foundations of inequality among men
The Development of Durkheim's Social Realism
Social Emergence
Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View
The constitution of society
The Development of Durkheim's Social Realism (Ideas in Context)
Emile Durkheim
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2026 (17) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |