How Pragmatist Sociology is Possible——Mead in Conversation with Durkheim

Pragmatist sociology is undergoing a revival,but to truly emerge from its marginal position,it first needs to respond to the fundamental questioning that has been subjected by classical social theory.Durkheim argues that pragmatism,as a form of utilitarianism,fails to account for universality and objectivity,and is therefore inherently incompatible with sociology.Mead offers a compelling response to Durkheim's criticisms and provides critical insights for pragmatist sociological theories.His theory emphasizes the collective praxis and the constitutive role of language developed within these processes.Language,intertwined with the emergence of the self,enables individuals to organize diverse perspectives.This coordination of perspectives reconciles the relationship between the individual and society,generating universality and objectivity within social life.By grounding nature and mind as well as individual and society within a unified experiential process,Mead's framework is distinctly processual,and its pragmatist implications merit deeper engagement by contemporary scholars.