The texts presented in the book originate from the early stages of the development of the sociological field. Their selection relates to two main questions. The first is the reason why they are drawn from a small period in the genealogical trajectory of social science and exclusively from the work of members of the so-called French Sociological School. The second is why they might be of interest for understanding the sociological field in Greece today, especially in relation to the contradictions that run through the uniquely internationalized environment of our times.

The texts in the book highlight a particularly significant period in the emergence of the sociological field and, primarily, its relationship with rational critique. This specific historical period constitutes a steady source of reflection for the social science discipline. And an reflective stance is necessary for two interconnected reasons. On one hand, to understand the trajectory followed by sociological theory, and to clarify the relationships between the sociological field and the – increasingly complex in our days – process of academic differentiation and the division of labor of dominance. On the other hand, to comprehend the conceptual framework that makes possible each social – and at the same time rational – critique.