Sociology as the diagnosis of the modes of existence in untruth – or something more? Autobiographical reflections on the formative role of Arpad Szakolczai’s work

In this article, written to celebrate the work and accomplishments of Arpad Szakolczai, I engage in an exercise of self-reflexivity to illuminate the role he played in shaping my long-term research project on the relationship between modernity and consumer capitalism. More broadly, I reflect on how he influenced the development of my identity as a historical sociologist and social theorist. My aim is to recover – for both the reader and myself – the formative impact that my encounter with Szakolczai and his thought had during my early years as a sociologist-in-training. I hope that this brief account may stimulate young scholars to engage with his work with a posture that does not keep separate, but tries to articulate the personal and professional dimensions of knowledge: an enduring and valuable lesson that I learned from Arpad Szakolczai