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This article traces the history of sociological research on artification in sociology, and identifies the main obstacles that had to be overcome to carry out this research: confusion about the notion of “artialization,” artification’s reduction to a merely metaphorical use, and the fall back on the concept of legitimization. Highlighting the close connection between the problem of artification and nominalism in philosophy, this article argues in favor of a fundamentally nominalist conception of sociology, through its three contemporary declinations: constructivism, pragmatism, and methodological individualism. Lastly, it argues that we should take mental representations seriously in the sociological program, following the nominalist approach.