Visions of the social : society as a political project in France, 1750-1950 / / by Jean Terrier.

• Superior document: International studies in sociology and social anthropology, v. 119
• Author: Terrier, Jean (Political scientist), 1974-
• Year of Publication: 2011
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: International studies in sociology and social anthropology ; v. 119.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (248 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

An essentially contested notion, society is viewed by some as the most important level of human reality, while others deny its existence outright. Taking the example of France between the Enlightenment and the Second World War, this book recounts the debates among thinkers and scholars on the nature of the social. By way of an original analysis of the work of many key figures in the history of French thought, the author convincingly demonstrates the strength of the connection between social theories and political projects. He pays particular attention to conceptual and terminological developments, thereby shedding a new light on the history of some core concepts of the human sciences, such as \'society\', \'culture\', and \'civilisation\'.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / J. Terrier -- 1. The Collective Will: From The Political To The Social / J. Terrier -- 2. Nations And Their Adversaries As A Theme Of Social Thought / J. Terrier -- 3. Severing The Link To Nature: The Rise Of The Culture Concept In International Perspective / J. Terrier -- 4. “In Us, But Not Of Us”. The Location Of Society According To Emile Durkheim / J. Terrier -- 5. The National And The Transnational: Marcel Mauss / J. Terrier -- Epilogue. The Language And Dialects Of The Social / J. Terrier -- Bibliography / J. Terrier -- Index Of Subjects / J. Terrier -- Index Of Names / J. Terrier.