Critical Sociology and the End of Ideology in Israel

Abstract

HE OBJECTIVE OF THIS ARTICLE is not to assess historical accuracy of claims of either Zionist or post-Zionist scholars. As will be argued, for anyone other than an historian, that need not be an issue of major significance. This is, rather, an exercise in sociology of knowledge, and is an attempt to explore sources of emergence of sociology and post-Zionism among social scientists in Israel. One of fascinating aspects of phenomenon is vehement acrimony which it has engendered in debates between establishment and sociologists. This is, primafacie, surprising, since it is in very nature of sociology to be critical. Sociology is, after all, a social science, which means that it turns to empirical evidence, rather than mythologies, to understand nature of a particular society. is well-known that there is often a great difference between what a society would like us to think and believe about itself and way it really is. By means of thinking, it is goal of sociology, according to Peter Berger, to pierce through facades that each society sets up about itself. Berger calls this the debunking tendency of sociology.'' To put it another way, sociology seeks to be like child who points out true nature of emperor's clothes. It ain't necessarily so, as one of lead songs from Porgy and Bess emphasized. Things are not necessarily what they appear to be, and it is goal of sociology, through critical thinking to see them as they really are. That kind of critical thinking however, clearly does have potential to infuriate, precisely because it challenges cherished notions. As Wirth averred,