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- Title
Interpretativní sociologie zvířat? K možnostem pojetí zvířat jako sociálních aktérů z pohledu rozumějící sociologie Maxe Webera.
- Authors
Janák, Dušan
- Abstract
The study explores the question whether and under what conditions the fundamental concepts of Max Weber's interpretive sociology - in particular "meaning" (Sinn) and "understanding" (Verstehen) - can be applied to animal behaviour, and whether and under what conditions Weber's concepts can be used to study the relationship of humans to animals as a relationship of social actors to other social actors. With regard to the possibility of building an interpretive sociology of animals in Max Weber’s spirit, his shift in the analytical concept of "meaning" is very important, namely the shift from the meaning which is fully conscious to the half-consciousness or unconsciousness of the meaning which is felt by the actor. Since the understanding of the animal and the human action is achieved in principle by the same means – through qualitative evidence and its verification by the rate of practical success - the rejection of the meaningfulness of animal action could also be applied to human actors. Apparently, denying the human actors an understanding explanation of their actions through the interpretation of subjective meaning would not only "destroy" the legitimacy of the interpretive sociology, but it would also "rule out" the possibility of understanding human communicative acts as such. Therefore, it is reasonably of greater benefit to include animals among (potential) social actors and rather focus on their sociologically relevant differences from other - primarily human - social actors. The study explores the question whether and under what conditions the fundamental concepts of Max Weber's interpretive sociology - in particular "meaning" (Sinn) and "understanding" (Verstehen) - can be applied to animal behaviour, and whether and under what conditions Weber's concepts can be used to study the relationship of humans to animals as a relationship of social actors to other social actors. With regard to the possibility of building an interpretive sociology of animals in Max Weber’s spirit, his shift in the analytical concept of "meaning" is very important, namely the shift from the meaning which is fully conscious to the half-consciousness or unconsciousness of the meaning which is felt by the actor. Since the understanding of the animal and the human action is achieved in principle by the same means – through qualitative evidence and its verification by the rate of practical success - the rejection of the meaningfulness of animal action could also be applied to human actors. Apparently, denying the human actors an understanding explanation of their actions through the interpretation of subjective meaning would not only "destroy" the legitimacy of the interpretive sociology, but it would also "rule out" the possibility of understanding human communicative acts as such. Therefore, it is reasonably of greater benefit to include animals among (potential) social actors and rather focus on their sociologically relevant differences from other - primarily human - social actors.
- Subjects
WEBER, Max, 1864-1920; PHENOMENOLOGICAL sociology; HUMAN behavior; ANIMAL behavior; SOCIAL science methodology; LOSS of consciousness; COMMUNICATIVE action
- Publication
Sociologia, 2022, Vol 54, Issue 5, p412
- ISSN
0049-1225
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.31577/sociologia.2022.54.5.15