The infamous statement "Sociology is a Martial Art" derives from Author & Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. His work is described as "elucidating the processes of symbolic violence and cultural domination in various areas of social life". Through educating yourself while incorporating critical thinking with logic and reason, complete with evidence/research, you are better able to protect yourself and others: The People, who can then in turn protect themselves...
That is, unless common sense escapes those in positions of power and authority, and compels them to make ludicrous decisions. Such illogical decisions, and illegal in many cases, are based on their behavior and personal beliefs that become actions that are deemed unfit for society.
"What I defend above all is the possibility and the necessity of the critical intellectual, who is firstly critical of the intellectual doxa secreted by the doxosophers. There is no genuine democracy without genuine opposing critical powers. The intellectual is one of those, of the first magnitude. That is why I think that the work of demolishing the critical intellectual, living or dead... is as dangerous as the demolition of the public interest and that it is part of the same process of restoration.
Of course I would prefer it if intellectuals had all, and always, lived up to the immense historical responsibility they bear and if they had always invested in their actions not only their moral authority but also their intellectual competence- like, to cite just one example, Pierre Vidal-Naquet, who has engaged all his mastery of historical method in a critique of the abuses of history. Having said that, in the words of Karl Kraus, 'between two evils, I refuse to choose the lesser.' whole I have little indulgence for 'irresponsible' intellectuals, I have even less respect for the 'intellectuals' of the political-administrative establishment, polymorphous polygraphs who polish their annual essays between two meetings of boards of directors, three publishers' parties and miscellaneous television appearances.”
~ Acts of Resistance: Against the Tyranny of the Market (bolding added).
Sociology Professor Bourdieu Earned Celebrity Status
Bourdieu reached celebrity status while being highly controversial at times. A prolific writer and Sociology Professor at the College de France, he advocated that scholars and writers need to utilize their expertise and "specialized knowledge to bear on social and political issues".
To educate the public is to re-public a democracy. As defined by Oxford Languages, a republic is "a state in which Supreme Power is held BY the people and their representatives" who are elected, nominated or appointed as Leaders. Silence has no place in Sociology, a field rich in kick ass exposes after being oppressed, undercover or having the ability to remain below the radar in their investigative work.
I shall write about the rich history of Sociologists and their examples that kicked ass, individually and collectively, in upcoming blog posts.
Sociology... The Rebel's Department and tis aaaall legal...
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