Arnold Gehlen
Modern art as symbol of modern society
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4480790 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christine Magerski (0000-0001-7004-7291, University of Zagreb, Croatia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 81-96 |
| Publication date | 2012-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Thesis Eleven (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0725-5136 • E-ISSN: 1461-7455 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0725513612445369 |
| OpenAlex | W2071550768 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 3 |
Arnold Gehlen is one of the most controversial figures of German intellectual history. Gehlen's commitment to National Socialism (a commitment he never disavowed) is mostly seen in close connection with his theoretical focus on institutions. According to Gehlen, what mankind requires above all is order and thus the protection of institutions. And yet, by reducing Gehlen's sociology to the necessity of order one misses the analytical scope of his writings. As this article aims to show, the strength of Gehlen's sociology lies less in its theory of institutionalization than in its attempt to comprehend change, i.e. the conceptual clarification of the interplay between radical innovation and institutionalization. In order to apprehend Gehlen's understanding of change we have to look at his sociology of art as it is art which works as 'a small symbol of society'. To approach Gehlen from this perspective is not to rehabilitate the controversial thinker. Instead, I am trying to show that Gehlen's theoretical framework is as complex as modern culture itself and should therefore not prematurely be declared a reactionary testimony of the past
Epistemology · German · Institutionalisation · Political science · Politics · Reactionary · Sociology · Arts, Culture, and Music Studies · European history and politics · German Social Sciences and History · Law · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,21 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2016 (5) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |