Following his widely discussed book "The Political Difference," Oliver Marchart now presents the complementary study on the concept of society. There is hardly any concept more contentious among social scientists than their own foundational term. While some regard it as indispensable, others consider it unnecessary or even harmful. Through the struggles surrounding this both necessary and impossible object "society," the author offers an alternative history of the social sciences from Durkheim to the present. At the same time, it provides a systematic overview of the latest "post-structuralist" social theories from Foucault to Latour to Laclau for the first time. Against this backdrop, the book presents a passionate plea for the revitalization of social theory.