Horizons Of Modernity

This chapter examines the impact of Alain Touraine's proto-hermeneutical themes and premises on his theory of modernity. The main focus in this regard is the contribution they have made to his project to transcend the over-integrated images of social relations which have dominated the sociological tradition, and the proto-hermeneutical dimensions of his mode of inquiry and basic conceptual infrastructure have played a central role bringing to the fore new dimensions of the mutability and the ambiguity of modern social forms. The chapter traces the demarcation of distinct epochs of modernity which emerges from the intersection of the two Weberian themes. As he sees the tension between rationalisation of subjectivation as co-extensive with modernity, and the dynamic of fragmentation coming into play only after the construction of a relatively unified model, the chapter begins with his interpretation of the constitutive conflict of modernity.Keywords: Alain Touraine; constitutive conflicts; modernity horizons; proto-hermeneutical themes; Weberian themes