This book argues that theorists are located within the social world; exercises in theorizing are both bounded and creative; imagination and creativity build upon the resources of tradition; and such awareness is the basis for dialogue with the denizens of other traditions, cultures and ways of making sense of the world.

PETER PRESTON is Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Birmingham, UK, and Professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The Practical Nature of Social Theorizing Arguments from Natural Science Arguments from Language/Understanding Arguments from Political Community Language, Tradition and Practice Bibliography