跨領域研究視野下的社會理論工作：分析社會學的觀點   全文下載

Social Theorizing in Light of Interdisciplinary Studies: A Perspective from Analytical Sociology

本研究從分析社會學(analytical sociology)的取徑出發，從三個相互關聯的面向說明跨領域研究可能對社會理論工作帶來的啟發。首先，以晚近關於「社會突現」(social emergence)的研究為例，說明受認知神經科學影響的心靈哲學可以如何幫助社會理論工作者處理涂爾幹以降的重大問題：個人與社會、個體主義與整體主義、社會複雜性與化約的關係。其次，說明認知神經科學可以如何為社會理論中的重要理論概念或因果解釋提供微觀基礎(microfoundations)，也因此有助於支持、擴充、修正或拒絕這些概念與解釋。最後，以晚近關於「強相互性」(strong reciprocity)的研究為例，說明實驗經濟學、人類學、社會心理學、倫理學正如何與認知神經科學等學科密切合作，探討社會理論歷久不衰的問題，即Talcott Parsons所謂的「霍布斯式（社會）秩序問題」。本研究主張，社會理論研究者應留意這些跨領域的研究動態，且社會理論其中一項值得追求的發展方向，在於充分吸收自然科學與人文社會科學的跨領域研究成果。

From the perspective of analytical sociology, this article attempts to illustrate the ways in which interdisciplinary studies can inform social theorizing by way of three examples. First, it demonstrates how the neuroscientifically-based philosophy of mind can be instrumental in addressing such core issues in social theory as the individual-society and individualism-collectivism dilemma and the problem of social emergence, complexity, and reduction. Second, it argues that the findings of cognitive neuroscience, seen in light of analytical sociology that highlights the importance of microfoundations for social research, are valuable in so far as they can support, enrich, or modify the concepts, theories, and causal explanations provided by social theorists. Third, it draws heavily on the recent interdisciplinary research into “strong reciprocity,” thereby illustrating how the classical issue in social theory, i.e., what Talcott Parsons calls the Hobbesian problem of (social) order, is being dealt with collectively by cognitive neuroscience, experimental economics, social psychology, moral philosophy, and anthropology. This article submits that instead of staying insulated from these interdisciplinary efforts, social theorists would be well-advised to keep abreast of their research findings.