Human beings are social beings and are involved in many social processes. Social philosophy is concerned with these different forms and structures of human coexistence. It inquires into persuasive interpretations of human beings in their relationship to social, political and cultural processes. This volume explains social-philosophy theories in these fields based on binaries - i.e., basic tensions in social philosophy. Central strands of theory are contrasted with one another, and at the same time important authors and works in the discipline are presented. The binaries present readers with the basic theoretical questions in social philosophy and enable the reader to develop well-founded own positions. The systematic reflections on the binaries are also clarified in relation to specific social developments.