Hans Joas is one of the foremost social theorists in Germany today. Based on Joass celebrated study of George Herbert Mead, this work reevaluates the contribution of American pragmatism and European philosophical anthropology to theories of action in the social sciences. Joas also establishes direct ties between Meads work and approaches drawn from German traditions of philosophical anthropology.
Joas argues for adding a third model of action to the two predominant models of rational and normative actionone that emphasizes the creative character of human action. This model encompasses the other two, allowing for a more comprehensive theory of action. Joas elaborates some implications of his model for theories of social movements and social change and for the status of action theory in sociology in the face of competition from theories advanced by Luhmann and Habermas.
The problem of action is of crucial importance in both sociology and philosophy, and this bookalready widely debated in Germanywill add fresh impetus to the lively discussions current in the English-speaking world.
Joas argues for adding a third model of action to the two predominant models of rational and normative actionone that emphasizes the creative character of human action. This model encompasses the other two, allowing for a more comprehensive theory of action. Joas elaborates some implications of his model for theories of social movements and social change and for the status of action theory in sociology in the face of competition from theories advanced by Luhmann and Habermas.
The problem of action is of crucial importance in both sociology and philosophy, and this bookalready widely debated in Germanywill add fresh impetus to the lively discussions current in the English-speaking world.
