LOGICS OF INTEGRATION AND DISINTEGRATION IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL-THEORY

This paper is a metatheoretical reflection on the tension within conte mporary social theory between two fundamentally opposed ways oi viewin g the world: the twin logics of integration and disintegration. it is suggested that this typology is a more informative model for analysis of contemporary social theory than the modernism/postmodernism typolog y. The paper outlines the structure and precursors of this metatheoret ical inquiry, identifies the presuppositions of these logics, provides exemplary statements of their application, reviews the rise to ascend ancy of the logic of disintegration, demonstrates its current prevalen ce, provides a critique of its operation and concludes with a reassert ion of the value of the logic of integration.