The contributors to this volume will examine topics in Schutz’s philosophical-phenomenological theory of the social world, such as the second person, the face-to-face relationship, the meaning of human action, signs, symbols, and relevance (or interests). Since Schutz sought to provide philosophical foundations for the social sciences, his work opens up a series of epistemological questions, such as those about traditional knowledge and the opacity of knowledge and theory, that is, the neglected or unseen questions that accompany any knowing or theorizing. Also, authors from within the Schutzian framework will address issues IN the social sciences, such as the Durkheimian aspects of Schutz’s thought, the sociology of knowledge, and the theory of sociology. The book will also explore how Schutzian theory, which is often viewed as a micro-sociology, can be extended to give an account of a macro-sociological reality like modern society.
Michael Barber is a professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University, author of 7 books and over 100 articles and editor of 16 books.