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Introduction
MargaretScotfordArcherisoneofthemostnotedcontemporaryso-
ciologists.TisBritishsocialtheoristisaprominentrepresentativeof
criticalsocialrealisminsociologyandmorebroadlyinsocialscience.Tis
philosophicalapproachhasbeendevelopingsincethe1970sthroughthe
workofmanysocialtheoristsinspiredbytheBritishphilosopherRoy
Bhaskar[Archer,2013:XII].
MargaretS.Archerhasintroducedmanynewconceptionsintothis
approach;herworkrepresentsagenuinelyoriginalcontributiontois-
suesconcerningthenatureofsocialontologyandsociologicalexpla-
nation,especiallypertainingtotheinterplaybetweenstructureand
agency,processesofsocialchange–understoodasmorphogenesis–
andmostrecently,reflexivityandtheinternalconversation.Nonethe-
less,M.S.Archer’sacademicworkremainsratherunknowninPoland.
Whatismore,itseemsasthoughitisphilosophy,notsociologythatis
theacademicsphere,whichisopenandmoresusceptibletohercon-
cepts.Bysuggestingaphilosophyofsocialscience,M.S.Archerbrid-
gessociologyandphilosophyinmanywaysthatfewcontemporaryso-
ciologistsorphilosophersaredoingtoday.Sheattemptstobreachthese
artificiallycreatedbarriers.
Sociologyshouldnotcloseitselfolfromsocialtheories,whichpro-
videabasisthatisindispensableandusefulforscientistsconductingem-
piricalscientificresearch.Although,today,sociologyisinagreatmea-
sureanempiricaldiscipline,itstillremainsatheoreticalone;thusone
ofitskeytasksisconstructingtheories.Tefunctionofsociological
theoryistoanticipateempiricalsociology.Sociologicaltheoryshould
constructnewtheoreticalconcepts,ensurepossibilitiesofdevelopment
andgeneralizetheresultsofempiricalresearch.Onecanarguethat
M.S.Archerhasdevotedmanyyearsofherworktocarryingoutthe
above-mentionedtasks.
