National socialism and the crisis of sociology

Excerpt

National Socialism marks a crisis of sociology in various regards. First, in the sense of a crucial phase of its socio-historical development (the experiences of exile by countless intellectuals and the more or less complete expulsion of some “schools” of sociology are only examples for the many forms in which the WWII-era has left its traces on the development of postwar sociology). Second, Nazi-reign marks a critical analytical challenge—both as a potential object of enquiry and as a starting point for reflecting our understanding of modern society. Third, National Socialism raises critical questions regarding sociology’s cognitive identity, concerning, for example, fundamental epistemological problems such as the role of the historical in sociological analysis. Finally, all these aspects of crisis are related to the political dimension of what role sociology can and should play in the face of concrete societal developments. …