The owl of Minerva takes fright

This paper presents a sociological analysis of the ways in which Scotland has been transformed over the last 25 years. It takes as its starting point the talk the author gave in 1996 entitled “The Post-Modern Condition of Scottish Society”, setting out how Scotland has changed in the intervening years. It sketches out and reflects on the defining events of the period: devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament; the rise to power of the Scottish National Party (SNP) as well as its shifting fortunes; all set in the context of the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums. It concludes by offering critical commentary on contemporary global issues, particularly the loss of the sense of social reality in the face of the current mood of individualism, moral relativism and post-factual narratives.