Dr. Werner Binder Spring 2025
Sociological Diagnoses of Our Times
Course
description
Sociological literature, especially in the writings of the classics, often contains a (more or less
explicit) diagnosis of the present time of the author (for example, Weber’s characterization of
modern capitalism as “iron cage”). In the 20th
century, “time diagnosis” emerged as a specific
sociological genre, exemplified by works such as Beck's "Risk Society", Bauman’s “Liquid
Modernity” or Castell's "Network Society". Time diagnoses offer a sociological interpretation
of contemporary society, often with a critical edge and the potential to reach broader
educated audiences beyond the confines of the discipline. This course focuses on recently
published diagnoses of our times, which we will read and discuss in their entirety, limiting
ourselves to a couple of shorter monographs per semester.
This year, two recently published books will be at the center of our attention, End of
Illusions (2021) by the German sociologist Andreas Reckwitz and Cannibal Capitalism (2022) by
the American social philosopher Nancy Fraser. In the first half of the class, we will read End of
Illusions, where Reckwitz, arguably the most influential sociologist in contemporary Germany,
elaborates on the themes of his Society of Singularities (2020), in which he argues that cultural
processes of “singularization” characterize all fields of contemporary society, from economy
and work to culture, life-style and politics. End of Illusions focusses on the social consequences
and political challenges, which are the result of cultural processes of singularization. In the
second part of the class, we will discuss Nancy Fraser’s Cannibal Capitalism, where she
develops a contemporary critique of capitalism on social, political and environmental grounds.
We will have to cover both books in eight weeks due to scheduling conflicts but there will
be a double-block after the official end of the semester, where we will have the opportunity
to discuss a third and very short book, The Uncontrollability of the World (2020) by Hartmut
Rosa, arguably Germany’s leading critical theorist. Rosa argues that our modern desire to
control the world impedes on our capacity to experience “resonance”, which he deems
essential for a good life. Participation in the double-block is not required for those who have
attended all previous seminars and met all the assignments satisfactorily, but will allow for
everyone else to make up for missed classes and assignments.
Course
requirements
Regular attendance and participation, eight short response papers, presentation in class or
final essay
ECTS points 5
I (18.2) Organizational Meeting
II (25.2) End of Illusions I – Introduction & Cultural Conflicts as a Struggle over Culture
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2021): The End of Illusions. Politics, Economy, and Culture in Late
Modernity. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 1-32.
Presentations Introduction to the author; Reckwitz, Andreas (2002): “Toward a Theory of Social Practices. A
Development in Culturalist Theorizing”. In: European Journal of Social Theory 5(2), 243-265.
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 1-78.
III (4.3) Conference Break – No Class
IV (11.3.) End of Illusions II – From the Leveled Middle-Class Society to the Three-Class Society
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2021): The End of Illusions. Politics, Economy, and Culture in Late
Modernity. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 33-72.
Presentation Beck, Ulrich (1992): Risk Society. London; Thousand Oaks: Sage.
V (18.3.) End of Illusions III – Beyond Industrial Society and The Weariness of Self-Actualization
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2021): The End of Illusions. Politics, Economy, and Culture in Late
Modernity. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 73-110; 111-130.
Presentations Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge: Polity; Medford. 81-
195.
Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 199-
266
VI (25.3) End of Illusions IV – The Crisis of Liberalism and the Search for the New Political Paradigm
Required
Reading
Reckwitz, Andreas (2021): The End of Illusions. Politics, Economy, and Culture in Late
Modernity. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. 131-169.
Presentation Reckwitz, Andreas (2020/2017): The Society of Singularities. Cambridge: Polity. 268-319;
Criticisms of Society of Singularities and End of Illusions
VII (1.4) Reading Week – No Class
VIII (8.4) Dean’s Day – No Class
IX (15.4) Fraser: Cannibal Capitalism I – Capitalism
Required
Reading
Fraser, Nancy (2022): Cannibal Capitalism. How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care and
the Planet–and What We Can Do about It. London; New York: Verso, xiii-26.
Presentations Introduction of the author and her work
Appelrouth, Scott A. & Laura Desfor Edles (2012): “Karl Marx (1818-1883)” In: Classical and
Contemporary Sociological Theory. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 20-76.
X (22.4) Fraser: Cannibal Capitalism III – Racism and Care
Required
Reading
Fraser, Nancy (2022): Cannibal Capitalism. How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care and
the Planet–and What We Can Do about It. London; New York: Verso, 27-52; 53-74.
Presentation Arruzza, Cinzia, Tithi Bhattacharya & Nancy Fraser (2019): Feminism for the 99%. A Manifesto.
London: Verso.
XI (29.4) Fraser: Cannibal Capitalism IV – Nature
Required
Reading
Fraser, Nancy (2022): Cannibal Capitalism. How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care and
the Planet–and What We Can Do about It. London; New York: Verso, 75-113.
Presentation Pendergrass, Drew & Troy Vettese (2022): Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the World from
Environmental Catastrophe. London: Verso.
XII (6.5) Conference Break – No Class
XIII (13.5) Fraser: Cannibal Capitalism IV – Democracy and Socialism
Required
Reading
Fraser, Nancy (2002): Cannibal Capitalism. How Our System Is Devouring Democracy, Care and
the Planet–and What We Can Do about It. London; New York: Verso, , 115-139; 141-157.
Presentations Fraser, Nancy (2019): The Old Is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born. From Progressive
Neoliberalism to Trump and Beyond. London: Verso.
Reviews and criticisms of Cannibal Capitalism
Make-Up
Class (no date
yet)
Rosa: The Uncontrollability of the World
Required
Reading
Rosa, Hartmut (2020): The Uncontrollability of the World. Cambridge; New York: Polity
Presentations Introduction of the author; Rosa, Hartmut (2019/2016): Resonance. A Sociology of Our
Relationship to the World. Cambridge; Medford: Polity. Introduction + Part I
Rosa, Hartmut (2019/2016): Resonance. A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World.
Cambridge; Medford: Polity. Part II-IV
Reviews and criticisms of Resonance and Uncontrollability of the World
Requirements
for Passing
the Course
1. Participation in class – 10%
2. Six response papers – 60% (three in the first half of the semester)
3. Presentation or Final Essay – 30%