Comparing Ethical Naturalism and “Public Sociology”

Excerpt

Gorski’s essay is a brilliantly lucid analysis of a hugely important topic for sociology—and one, frankly, about which many American sociologists are often confused or ignorant. Gorksi’s piece should be required reading for all sociologists, in my view. We in sociology often ignore and get our thinking wrong about these profound issues to our own discipline’s detriment and embarrassment. I am convinced that the problems Gorski uncovers and the solutions he proposes are immensely insightful and massively important for getting our heads straight about the very identity, purpose, and value of sociology as an enterprise. Full disclosure: my own theoretical project in sociology entails exactly the kind of criticism of our received tradition concerning facts-and-values that Gorski levels, and he advocates just the kind of ethical naturalism that he describes.¹ …