This article focuses on Bauman’s contribution to political sociology and proposes that, in spite of his apparently pessimistic critique of contemporary society, his work has much to offer the ‘new positivity’ within the social sciences. Drawing upon his writings on socialism and utopia, as well as his frequently normative ‘liquid sociology’ period, the article pursues the idea that Bauman’s work offers a vital compass — understood as a particular way of orientating ourselves towards the present — such that we are better able to navigate the complexities and uncertainties of the current interregnum. Given the various social, economic, political and environmental crises that have come to characterize the first decade of the twenty-first century, the article concludes by suggesting that Bauman’s compass provides a useful sense of direction for rising to the task of rethinking global societies in order to meet these shared challenges to human social life.
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