Theory and society in the shadow of terror

Contemporary social theory has reached an impasse that expresses the contradictions of our time. The retreat from Grand Theory may have been necessary but there is need now to go back to basic questions about ontology, epistemology, and ethics. This article presents an alternative approach to method - an approach that allows us to map the tensions between tribalism, traditionalism, modernism, and postmodernism in this age of globalization, multiplying crises, and increasing insecurities.