Charles Tilly interview: big questions

Part of interview with Charles Tilly by Daniel Little. December 16, 2007 at University of Michigan - Dearborn. Topic: How do you define the social world? What is a good social science? Is sociology in a good state of affairs today?

[@안알랴줌-d6l]

I'm very overwhelmed by his works, and yes, he truly deserves much more attention. On the other hand, however, it is also understandable that such an academic figure doesn't get enough attention. People and press wants something simple, something that can be put into a slogan. Tilly would've never engaged in such an enterprise.

[@semrasomersan]

Thank you Daniel Little for this very informative interview. Semra Somersan

[@iseDaniel]

Thanks for this interview, it was very stimulating for my thesis work. Greetings from north of Argentina.

[@rajeshchahal5183]

It is painful to see how little recognition Sociologists get compared to Economists,Philosophers and Physicist. It is true economist,physicist are of more value but on sheer intellectual terms Sociology is as interesting. They are way too undervalued. A comparable giant like Tilly in Economics or philosophy would have got 600 and 200 comments I guess. Tilly was trult the greatest American Sociologist of his time.

[@modvs1]

Science should aim at developing agency with respect to its subject matter. Or science that matters makes a difference to our agency in relation to its subject. Perhaps the reason why (say) physics, electrical engineering, chemistry, metallurgy, medicine, etc., have the value that they do, is precisely because they make a difference to our ability to manipulate our relationship to the pertinent phenomenon, that results in some useful (practical) advantage. To wit- ‘you understand something to the extent that you can control your relationship to it’. Understanding in the absence of agency is redundant.

[@JonSebastianF]

Daniel, you can aggregate and submit these clips in one big interview now :D

[@TedDGPoulos]

The most fundamental question of all: What is The underlying law of nature?

[@Conway931]

is there an underlyin law?

[@rajeshchahal5183]

Not really, Physics or Chemistry cannot tell me when will the world economy recover. I need Economics for that. so and on. The biggest statement ever made may be Why something exist as opposed to Nothing? But that does not make me very intelligent or knowledgeable. Too big a brush may not always be equal to knowledge.