ABSTRACT
Modern sociological theory was bom from specific reflection on the antithesis between freedom and social order, as polarities irreducible to one another and within which social life unfolds. Freedom lies in the subject while social control lies in extemal constrictions. As modernity develops, the 'lib/lab complex' increases, and the two poles - lib and lab - enter increasing synergy. The binary distinction of freedom/control is no longer able to explain the dialectic between civil society and the state that lay at the foundation of the modern era. The Kantian spirit of modern sociology dissolved. It was no longer so easy to reconcile freedom and control. The post-modern society tends to be described and interpreted within the framework comprising the subjectivity of actors and Communications system. The engine of society has certain analogies with one driven by nuclear energy: it is considered to have practically unlimited resources, and it achieves extremely high performance, although with some inherent risks.
