Literature and Sociology: A Siamese Twins’ Journey from Entwined to Estranged

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 19, 149 - 182, 30.12.2023

Asmaa Ramil

https://doi.org/10.25306/skad.1373323

Öz

This paper traces the key moments that shaped the perceptions of the literary arts and their epistemic relationship with systematic social study in Western thought. Following a chronological order, spanning from antiquity to the modern era, it adopts a conceptual-history approach. This comprehensive scope enables the analysis of different watersheds in religion, philosophy, science and social thought. As Enlightenment rationality ascended, the mystical insights of poetry were derided as irrational fancies. Accordingly, pioneer sociologists – in their endeavour to achieve academic legitimacy and authority – distanced themselves from the suspect influence of belletristic styles. Before long, sociology disavowed literature entirely, denying its own foundation in literary commentary and critique. However, the emergence of new paradigms (deconstructionism, post-structuralism, etc.) destabilised this institutional estrangement. The study reveals that literature has been intertwined with the social studies in general, and the genesis and development of sociology in particular. It argues that both remain inextricably linked in their endeavours to illuminate the human condition. This research ultimately postulates that the fluidity between these disciplines encourages a holistic understanding of society, fostering creativity, empathy, scientific inquiry and critical thinking.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Literature, Sociology, Conceptual history, Paradigm shifts, Interdisciplinarity, Knowledge categorisation

Edebiyat ve Sosyoloji: Bir Yapışık İkizlerin Yolculuğu, Kaynaşmadan Ayrışmaya

Öz

Bu makale, edebiyat ve sistematik sosyal çalışmalar arasındaki epistemik ilişkinin ve edebi sanatların algılarını şekillendiren Batı düşüncesindeki anahtar anları izlemektedir. Antik çağlardan modern çağlara kadar kronolojik bir sıra izleyerek, kavramsal tarih yaklaşımını benimsemektedir. Bu kapsamlı perspektif, din, felsefe, bilim ve sosyal düşüncedeki dönüm noktalarının analizine olanak sağlamaktadır. Aydınlanma döneminin akılcılığı (rasyonelliği) yükseldikçe, şiir mistik içgörüleri akıldışı (irrasyonel) fanteziler olarak alaya alındı. Buna göre, akademik meşruiyet ve yetki arayışında olan öncü sosyologlar, edebi üslupların şüpheli etkisinden uzak durmaya çaba göstermişlerdir. Çok geçmeden, sosyolojinin kendi temelinin edebi yorum ve eleştiride yattığını inkar edilerek, edebiyattan tamamen yalıtılmıştır. Fakat yeni düşünce akımlarının (paradigmaların) ortaya çıkması (yapısökümcülük, post-yapısalcılık, postmodernizm, vb.) sosyolojinin edebiyattan kopuşunu sorgulamaya başlamış ve bu kurumsal ayrımı sarsmıştır. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma, edebiyatın genelde sosyal bilgilerle, özelde ise sosyolojinin doğuşu ve gelişimiyle sıkıca ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Her ikisinin de insanın doğasını anlama ve aydınlatma gayretlerinde birbirlerini tamamlayıcı ve ayrılmaz bir ilişki içinde bulunduklarını savunmaktadır. Makale nihayetinde, bu disiplinler arasındaki akışkanlığın bütünsel bir toplum anlayışını teşvik ettiğini, yaratıcılığı, empatiyi, bilimsel araştırmayı ve eleştirel düşünmeyi desteklediğini öne sürmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Edebiyat, Sosyoloji, Kavramsal tarih, Paradigma kaymaları, Disiplinlerarası, Bilgi tasnifi

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