Bij de tweede druk van "Über den Prozess der Zivilisation"

Samenvatting

Über den Prozess der Zivilisation (On the Process of Civilization, Munich, Germany: Francke Verlag, 1969), by Norbert Elias was nearly completely ignored even though the book contains valuable points of view re many of the modern theoretical discussions taking place. Originally, Elias expected his book to become the foundation of an undogmatic, sociol'al theory (empirically grounded) of soc processes & soc development. His sociol is actually an outline of a sociol'al paradigm, the elements of which are evident, though it is worked out systematically: (a) people live as individuals in soc configurations; (2) soc configurations have a processual character (these theses, contrary to M. Weber's paradigm as well as E. Durkheim's, give Elias' model a dynamical character unlike T. Parsons' paradigm); (3) the development of soc configurations is mainly unplanned. This thesis fundamentally relates to the discussion between "the idea of human freedom" & the "idea of causal determinedness" of a soc behavior. (4) Sociol is a soc & mainly unplanned business which also has a processual character. Elias' book further enunciates the way of life of the French court & the court's etiquette; its development from the 13th to the 19th & 20th cent; its relation to the formation of states. These elements are integrated into a sociol'al model with the view that all soc phenomena are not eternal & are not caused by an eternal principle; they arise from a structured process of development, the course of which can be studied in a systematical way. H. van de Belt.