Over nazificatie, neonazisme en sociologische theorie

Samenvatting

A report on a book by G. A. Kooy HET ECHEC VAN EEN `VOLKSCHE' BEWEGING, NAZIFICATIE EN DENAZIFICATIE IN NEDERLAND, 1933-1945 (The Failure of a `Folkish' Movement: Nazification and Denazification of the Netherlands, 1933-1945), a monograph on the rise & fall of Nazism in the Dutch town of Winterswijk. The writer has previously reviewed the book (see SA A4807). He now tries to place it in modern sociol'al theory. Kooy is himself a sociol'st; though his book is the result of several yrs of field studies it also bears the mark of several theoretical approaches to sociol (Marx, Loomis & Begle, Lipset, De Kadt, Adorno & Fromm). In a letter to the author, Kooy stated that he (Niezing) had reduced his theoretical approaches to 2 dimensions (econ & psychol'al) which was an oversimplification. The author replies that Kooy should have first attempted to verify his hyp's & then place them within the framework of the 2 dimensions, stressing their overlaps. He criticizes in detail Kooy's application of the macro-sociol'al approaches of Marx (econ) & Adorno (sociol'al). He also criticizes Kooy's 'ethical agnosticism'. In this, says the author quoting R. Dahrendorf, the book 'only contributes to the strengthening of existing tendencies' & the author 'is no better than the society in which he lives.' Finally, he considers whether Kooy's 'ethical agnosticism' could not be replaced by a purely sci'fic approach-the 'iceberg theory' (based on Adorno) which would view Nazism as the top of the iceberg, as a 'soc crystallization of authoritarianism.' I. Langnas.