Social Imaginary and the Metaphysical Discourse: On the Fundamental Predicament of Contemporary Philosophy and Social Sciences

This book challenges traditional approaches to truth in social science and philosophy by highlighting an extra-linguistic level of cognition where scientific creativity occurs. It explores the theoretical interrelations among metaphysical world-imageries and how they shape our scientific understanding and expectations of experience. Appealing to scholars of sociology and philosophy, it sheds light on the role of social ontology in shaping practices of sharing belief.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book takes a unique approach to understanding truth in social science and philosophical ideas that link truth to the capacity of language to meet certain 'real-world conditions of objectivity. By highlighting an extra-linguistic level of cognition where scientific creativity takes place, it emphasizes how epistemic communities share, work on, and modify not only the world-imaginaries they endorse but also those they reject or which partially overlap with their own. Through the concept of the social imaginary, the author delves into the theoretical interrelationships among various metaphysical world-imageries that shape our scientific understanding of the world and our expectations of experience, thus shedding light on how social ontology can inform our practices of sharing belief. This study, situated at the intersection of metaphysics and social theory, will appeal to scholars of sociology and philosophy who are interested in exploring questions of ontology and epistemology.

Introduction:
In the realm of social science and philosophical thought, there has been a longstanding tradition of linking truth to the ability of language to fulfill certain 'real-world conditions of objectivity. This approach, however, has come under scrutiny as it fails to account for the complex and multifaceted nature of scientific creativity and the role of epistemic communities in shaping our understanding of the world. In this book, we depart from these traditional approaches and explore a new perspective on truth.

Extra-Linguistic Cognition:
Our cognition extends beyond the confines of language, and at an extra-linguistic level, scientific creativity occurs. This level of cognition is where world-imaginaries are formed, and it is through the collaborative efforts of epistemic communities that these world-imaginaries are shared, worked on, and modified. Epistemic communities are groups of individuals who share a common set of beliefs and engage in epistemic practices, such as scientific inquiry and argumentation.

The Social Imaginary:
The social imaginary is a concept that captures the way in which epistemic communities shape and modify their world-views. It refers to the shared mental representations and world-views that individuals within a community hold about the world. These world-views are not fixed or rigid but are constantly evolving and being shaped by the interactions between individuals and the broader social context.

World-Imaginaries:
World-imageries are the mental representations that individuals use to organize their scientific understanding of the world and their expectations of experience. They are shaped by a combination of factors, including cultural, historical, and social influences. World-imageries can range from highly abstract and idealized to more concrete and empiricist.

Epistemic Communities:
Epistemic communities play a crucial role in shaping and modifying world-imageries. Through their collaborative efforts, communities develop and refine their world-views, challenging and rejecting those that do not align with their beliefs. They also work on developing new world-views that better account for the complexities of the world.

Theoretical Interrelationships:
The social imaginary provides a framework for exploring the theoretical interrelationships among various metaphysical world-imageries. Metaphysical world-imageries refer to the different ways in which individuals organize their scientific understanding of the world and their expectations of experience. These world-imageries can be categorized based on their underlying assumptions, such as materialism, idealism, or realism.

Social Ontology:
Social ontology is a branch of philosophy that examines the nature of social reality and the relationships between individuals and social structures. It provides a framework for understanding how social structures shape and influence individual beliefs and practices. By integrating social ontology with the social imaginary, we can gain a deeper understanding of how social structures can inform our practices of sharing belief.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this book offers a novel approach to understanding truth in social science and philosophical ideas. By highlighting the extra-linguistic level of cognition where scientific creativity takes place and the role of epistemic communities in shaping our world-views, it provides a deeper understanding of how social ontology can inform our practices of sharing belief. This study at the intersection of metaphysics and social theory will appeal to scholars of sociology and philosophy who are interested in exploring questions of ontology and epistemology.

Weight: 436g
Dimension: 162 x 241 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367192532