New Blog to Bookmark --- The Sociological Imagination

Put together by 3 graduate students in sociology, who also happen to read The Austrian Economist.   The Sociological Imagination is off to a great start with posts. 

Comments

[Pete L.]

Any blog that Brian Pitt is attached to is sure to be outstanding. I've more than once hoped that a larger number of others could have the opportunity to hear Brian's thoughts and this blog provides an excellent forum to achieve that.

I don't know Brian's collaborators, but I have no doubt they're excellent too. I very much look forward to following The Sociological Imagination. Welcome, gentlemen!

[Steven Horwitz]

Seconded. David, from that blog, is here with me at FEE this week, so that's a good sign!

[Brian Pitt]

We appreciate the kind words!

[Rafe Champion]

The original "The Sociological Imagination" by C Wright Mills is a fascinating read, with a splendid critique of "grand theories" that are never tested and the normal science of crass empiricism. The fatal flaw of the book is Mill's Marxism and lack of understanding of economics, exemplified by his dismissive reference to people who could not see the value of the New Deal. Mill was working in the rational and humanistic Marxist tradition, so he wanted a viable alternative to liberalism and Marxism as he saw them in the 1950s but he clearly did not perceive classical liberalism as a candidate that was worthy of mention. It seems that classical, non-socialist liberals were so thin on the ground during his lifetime that he did not see any need to engage with them. The appendix on intellectual craftsmansip is a treat.

Next to "The Sociological Imagination" on the shelf should be "Social Science as Sorcery" by Stanislav Andreski. http://www.amazon.com/Social-sciences-sorcery-Stanislav-Andreski/dp/B0006C54HG

Very good on sociology and anthropology but soft on Keynes.
http://www.questia.com/library/book/social-sciences-as-sorcery-by-stanislav-andreski.jsp