The Cultural Construction of Social Reality in Modernity

Abstract

Along this article I’ll try to analyze the evolution of the concept of «social reality» in Occidental world since Illustration to present time. The main topic is that the vision of reality that contemporary society shows is the result of a long process in which culture —i.e. philosophy, art, science— due to its structuring and unstructuring power, has developed a decisive role. To get this objective and after pointing out the importance of the theme of reality to sociology, I’ve dedicated a different par to each of the four stages in which I’ve divided modernity: Illustration —closed to reality but when it is first discussed—, Romanticism —society is not any more determinate by reality—, Modernity —reality has been turned into a technological paradigm—, and Post-modernity —reality has been transformed into merchandise for sale. My conclusion is that thought, aesthetic and science, in other words, culture, has given over reality to a dominant economical order.