1st Edition
Enter Plato Classical Greece and the Origins of Social Theory
Part 1: The Hellenic World 1. Civil War in the Polis 2. The Greek Contest System: Patterns of Culture 3. Self and Society in Greece 4. The War Between the Cities Part 2: Enter Plato 5. An Alternative to Politics 6. Social Diagnosis: Lacunae and Assumptions in Plato’s Diagnosis 8. Therapeutics: Planned Social Change in Plato’s Theory 9. Therapeutics: Law and Universalism 10. The Fatigue of Reason and the Metaphysics of Authoritarianism 11. Death and the Tragic Outlook. Glossary of Greek Terms. Major Dates in Greek History.
Biography
Alvin W. Gouldner (1920–1980) was a prominent American sociologist renowned for his contributions to the study of social theory and organizational sociology. Best known for his critical perspectives on the relationship between social structure and individual agency, Gouldner’s work challenged conventional views of bureaucracy, power, and authority. His influential texts, such as The Coming Crisis of Western Sociology (1970) and Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy (1954), critiqued the dominant paradigms of sociology, advocating for a more reflexive and critical approach to understanding social institutions.
Enter Plato (1954) critically examines the relationship between philosophy, power, and social structure, drawing on Plato’s Republic to highlight the tensions between intellectual elites and broader societal forces. This work marks a pivotal point in Gouldner’s intellectual development, bridging his earlier empirical studies with his later, more abstract critiques of sociological theory, and reinforcing his broader theme of challenging dominant ideologies within both academia and society. Gouldner’s interdisciplinary approach and emphasis on the dynamic interplay between theory and practice left a lasting legacy in the field.
Original Review of Enter Plato:
‘The book is an important contribution to social theory…’ Howard E. Jensen, Social Forces, Volume 45, Issue 2 (1966)
‘…a work of analytic power, creative insight and breadth of focus…Gouldner is a sociologist of Platonic and Hellenic knowledge…’ S. R. Waldman, American Political Science Review, Volume 60, Issue 3 (1966)
