Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa
Abstract
I
n this brief but revealing interview with Professor Michael Mann we address and assess
the fundamental novelties offered by volumes iii and iv of his magnum opus The Sources
of Social Power, focusing on two main issues. First, we emphasize conceptual and analytical
questions. Second, we highlight two of the major themes of volumes iii and iv: the polymorphous
and segmental empires and globalizations, their historical formation and relationship.
We conclude by asking Professor Mann about his take on Historical Sociology, a crucial yet
downplayed tradition in Human and Social Sciences. Michael Mann’s work is a clear demonstration
of the imperative to recognize the centrality of this tradition. It is also an exemplary
contribution to all the efforts that seek to place Historical Sociology at the fore of our individual
and collective intellectual research