New Article Commentary by Jeffrey Alexander
We are happy to announce a new article commentary, “Dreaming of peace amidst thenightmare of war: Responding to my interlocutors” by Jeffrey C. Alexander in Dialogues in Sociology.
“While domestic civil spheres extend Lockean ties of mutual understanding, they often legitimate a Hobbesian ‘war of all against all’ among nations outside their national boundaries. As cultural trauma theory suggests, however, there is a sociological pathway for extending civil solidarity beyond the nation state, such that war between nations is prevented. The European Union underwent just such a process in the wake of the Second World War. Even as Civil Sphere Theory develops an empirical understanding of Kant's universalizing moral claims, the frustration of these claims in ‘actually existing» civil spheres is conceptualized in a Hegelian manner – as generated by the fundamental contradictions of space, time, and function. These contradictions generate extraordinary strains inside and outside of nationally bounded civil spheres, triggering social movements for peace and justice.”
Jeffrey C. Alexander
Dialogues in Sociology is a journal designed to stimulate open, critical, and intellectually ambitious debate across the field of sociology. Its core goal is not just to reflect existing discussions, but to actively generate new ones, especially those that challenge established theories, concepts, and methodological approaches. By using an open peer commentary format, the journal creates a structured dialogue between authors and reviewers, turning each publication into a collective conversation rather than a one-sided contribution. It encourages bold, unconventional, and even provocative work that pushes beyond disciplinary boundaries, introduces new concepts, and explores underexamined or emerging topics.
The journal positions itself as a global and inclusive platform for sociological exchange, bringing together voices from different regions, traditions, and levels of experience, from established scholars to emerging researchers, across both the Global North and South. It embraces both orthodox and heterodox perspectives, fostering respectful yet critical engagement with controversies and diverse viewpoints. Ultimately, its ambition is to become a central hub for dynamic knowledge formation in sociology, publishing agenda-setting work that inspires new lines of inquiry, reshapes debates, and expands the conceptual and methodological horizons of the discipline.
Alexander, J. C. (2026). Dreaming of peace amidst the nightmare of war: Responding to my interlocutors. Dialogues in Sociology, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/29768667261426085
