Is there a 'second modernity'? How to deal with sociological diagnoses of our time

Sociology presents diagnoses of our time in ever new abundance: postmoderni ty, second modernity, world society, individualization, etc. This indulgenc e in producing diagnoses of our rime stands in sharp contrast to the discip line's poor capacity For predicting important events and upheavals that occ urred in the past. The article takes Ulrich Beck's thesis of a 'second mode rnity' to illustrate how to deal with such a diagnosis that leads to rather compact predictions. The theorem of 'second modernity' is reduced to scientifically workable cor e theses about which reasonable statements can be made. Beck argues that pr esent-day problems, especially ecological problems, fall through the grid o f the existing differentiated institutions and rationalities and that a syn thesis or a mix of rationalities is required in order to cope with the over lapping problems that don't st into the differentiation. The article doubts that a 'second modernity' is rising and that a mix of rationalities is nee ded. For this we have to distinguish between rationalities and institutions .