Not knowing, emancipatory catastrophism and metamorphosis: Embracing the spirit of Ulrich Beck



Mythen, Gabe G ORCID: 0000-0002-6528-9031 and Walklate, Sandra
(2016) Not knowing, emancipatory catastrophism and metamorphosis: Embracing the spirit of Ulrich Beck. Security Dialogue, 47 (5). pp. 403-419.

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Abstract

Embracing the spirit of his observation that ‘what was ruled out beforehand as inconceivable is taking place’, this article urges a re-engagement with Ulrich Beck’s work within security studies. In so doing, the article falls into three parts. First, we provide necessary contextual orientation, discussing the magnitude of Beck’s contribution to understandings of risk and security in the social sciences. Second, we discuss the importance of comprehending Beck’s unique methodological approach in order to appreciate the more specific resonances of his work. Third, we endorse the theoretical novelty of Beck’s work, demonstrating the ways in which the tools that he devised might be put to use and extended in future. To this end, we focus on three interconnected conceptual devices developed by Beck in the latter stages of his career: nichtwissen, emancipatory catastrophism and metamorphosis. We conclude by emphasizing the vital need to grasp the practical as well as the academic ambitions that underpinned Beck’s projective style of social theory.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Metamorphosis, risk, Ulrich Beck,, uncertainty
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2019 16:22
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 01:08
DOI: 10.1177/0967010616651027
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3030335

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