Classical Sociology and the First World War
Weber, Durkheim, Simmel and Scheler in the Trenches
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9879616 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vittorio Cotesta (0000-0003-3749-1205, Roma Tre University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 102 |
| Issue | 351 |
| Pages | 432-449 |
| Publication date | 2017-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0018-2648 • E-ISSN: 1468-229X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-229x.12456 |
| OpenAlex | W2726538226 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
The war writings of the founding fathers of modern sociology in France (Durkheim) and Germany (Weber, Simmel, Scheler) on the one hand show the legitimization of the geopolitical situation of each country; on the other, they highlight the image of the relationship between individuals (the combatants) and their country. This article considers some lesser‐known writings by Weber to highlight his will (which was frustrated) to take part in the war and his efforts to sustain his government and German soldiers injured during the fighting through the organization of the Heidelberg Hospital. Together with some of the foremost French intellectuals of his day, Durkheim created an analysis and communication group that produced pamphlets and newspaper articles which are useful in shedding light on the ambiguous stand of the French sociologist over the war. The article then goes on to consider the works by Simmel, in particular, his ‘Die Idee Europa’, an article in which the war was seen as a turning point in history that might have allowed Germany to lead Europe to a greater future. Scheler, for his part, considered the war as a divine punishment for the whole of Europe. As he had it, the God of love would have granted victory to the nation that proved its boundless willingness to sacrifice itself. The author's conclusion is that, with the exception of Simmel in his Soziologie (1908), the fathers of classic sociology did not offer any significant contribution to understanding the war as a social phenomenon
Ancient history · Epistemology · First world war · German · Media studies · Newspaper · Phenomenon · Political science · Politics · Sacrifice · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · Theology · Victory · World War II · Emile Durkheim and Sociology · History · Law · Philosophy · Sociology and Norbert Elias · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
| Citations per year | 0.45 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2015 - 2024 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |