On the Recent Apocalyptic Tone Adopted in Canadian Sociology

Abstract

It would not be an overstatement to suggest that modern thought has often adopted an apocalyptic tone. It began with death of Metaphysics, and was followed soon after by death of God, Progress, Reason, Man, and History. As Nietzsche points out, however, it is not death that matters, but rather how long news takes to reach its destination (1974: section 125, 181-2). It is in this context that Neil McLaughlin's paper Canada's Impossible Science can be interpreted as beacon--perhaps not exactly beacon of hope but, quite possibly flare of distress. For in keeping with this long tradition of heralding death throes, McLaughlin appears to be giving last rites to Canadian sociology. Its status is uncertain; its condition not yet terminal--perhaps it is simply that news takes longer to reach hinterland. Canadian sociology is apparently in danger: it is in danger of losing its intellectual vitality and disciplinary viability as consequence of structural shifts and organizational movements that threaten to undermine its unique contribution to intellectual life. This danger is not inconsequential: We face ... possibility that sociology as distinct and serious academic discipline essential to liberal arts education, research in sciences and intellectual debate in society would cease to exist in Canada in anything more than name alone (6). As partial remedy, McLaughlin proposes a reflexive sociological account of Anglo-Canadian Sociology that seeks to diagnose the state of sociology in English Canada today by drawing attention to coming institutional ... that can only be avoided with action based on roots of its problems (2-3, my emphasis). He maintains that Anglo-Canadian sociology has number of strengths such as diverse methodological orientation, distinctive critical political and intellectual tradition and unique intellectual perspective that has made space for itself by drawing on English and American sociological traditions. Nonetheless, it is facing unique that is precipitated by flat institutional structure of Canadian Higher Education (10), strong connection to British sociology that exhibits commitment to social theory agenda (18) and unique political tradition has inhibited development of more scholarly and professional culture (20). He makes some astute points, among them idea that any remedy to this Canadian disease must have commitment to quality publishing in prestigious journals at its centre (31). McLaughlin is dead-on here, and I commend his call for highly professional, intellectually engaged, strong leadership for cultivating strong Canadian sociology. Even so, it is important to remember that diagnostic projects succeed or fail on strength of their identification of organization and coordination of symptoms. As Jacques Derrida maintains, they ritualize analysis of certain themes--in this instance, it is theme of crisis that becomes of analysis (1995:4-5). Diagnosis means that one participates in creative and critical moment whereby object of is created performatively at same time that it is analyzed and critiqued. Consequently, in attempting to theorize nature of that faces Canadian sociology, McLaughlin's diagnosis is preoccupied with following questions: What is its nature? What are its symptoms? How might it be remedied? In seeking to divert crisis, his analysis nonetheless succeeds in creating very that he intends to thwart, that is crisis of Canadian sociology, with all of its attendant symptoms, treatments and remedies. Such an objectification demands that one judge, evaluate and discriminate effectively. It requires that we agree upon nature of symptoms in order to accept terms of diagnosis; in other words, it demands that we diagnose diagnosis. Gilles Deleuze notes that when naming disease, the doctor does not invent illness, but rather dissociates symptoms that were previously grouped together and links up others that were dissociated (1989:15). …