Why this book?
- Begins with the everyday worries of sociology students and moves away from pure abstraction.
- Examines the objective foundation of the concept of sociology in the nature of social objectivity and the exchange relation.
- Presents the Frankfurt School's critical view of sociological science in a condensed form.
- Unlike hefty volumes, it moves from concrete issues to fundamental concepts.
- Useful for understanding the difference between Adorno's critical approach and mainstream sociology.
About the book
The book "Introduction to Sociology" is a collection of lectures presenting the thoughts of Theodor Adorno, the German philosopher, sociologist, and musicologist, on the preliminaries of sociological science. Unlike many classical sociology texts that begin and end with grand ideas, Adorno starts the discussion with the issue of students' career futures and end-of-term exam concerns.
The author attempts in this work to show that the objective foundation of the concept of sociology lies in the conceptual nature of social objectivity itself, or in the abstract relation that exchange introduces into society. This approach distinguishes the book from common hefty and abstract texts and acquaints the reader with Adorno's critical and dialectical style.
The book is a valuable resource for sociology students, those interested in the Frankfurt School, and anyone who wants to encounter a critical view of the foundations of social science. Sayra Rafiei's translation has provided Persian speakers with access to these important lectures.