Estates, Social Classes, and Political Classes

Bibliographic Data

ID5619940
AuthorsOliver C Cox (corresponding author)
Year1945
Volume10
Issue4
Pages464
Publication date1945-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Sociological Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-1224 • E-ISSN: 1939-8271
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2086160
OpenAlexW2320017758
LanguageEN
Citations received12

period of occupation. When the appeal to patriotism is not heeded, collaborationists and defeatists are ruthlessly eliminated. Intrigues aiming at new post-war alliance are already underway, and the technical ground work for rapid recovery of the military potentiality has been laid. There is little ground for hoping that two unsuccessful wars will teach the losers their way of life is wrong. They can hardly be expected to regard their beliefs and institutions as false because the victors disapprove of them. Neither punishment nor education will break the solidarity between the group and its leaders. In my opinion there is only one condition which might deflect the social development of Germany into new channels. This condition is a working international organization. When Germany eventually earns its place as an equal member in such an organization, it is possible that the German people, through their participation, will derive benefits which will enable them to satisfy their needs in a way preferable to the one employed heretofore, namely, by self-reliance. A steady rising standard of living, resulting from international cooperation, could in itself materially contribute to the development of a new cultural attitude in Germany. Treating Germany for paranoia will not do it, neither can the psychoanalyst be of help in a situation where only a drastic change of the basic conditions of living can tip the balance in favor of a social reconstruction of Germany

Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Law · Psychoanalysis and Social Critique