Contingency and Crisis. Notes On a Sociology Considering Failure and the Unforeseen

Abstract

This paper is proposed as a critical approach to normativism and
rational-action based sociological models, starting from the idea that
they overrate the capacities of agents to understand and evaluate the
mechanisms of social life. In opposition to these theoretical approaches,
we suggest that contingency and failure (not taken into account by
these approaches) appear as constant realities, inevitable and
appropriate for understanding social action. In this journey we rely on
Ramos’ proposal on the tragic dimension of action, in addition to the
reformulation by Arendt of Heidegger’s concept of care. Finally, we
critique the role assigned to certain experts in the current scenario of
economic crisis,from presumption of the ability to predict and correct
social paths, pushing for success as a goal.