Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Ferdinand Tönnies" - New World
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| − | '''Ferdinand Tönnies''' ( | + | '''Ferdinand Tönnies''' (born July 26, 1855, near Oldenswort, Eiderstedt; died April 9, 1936, in Kiel, Germany) was a German sociologist. He was a major contributor to sociological theory and field studies, a co-founder of German Society of Sociology. He is best known for his distinction between two types of social groups - [[Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft]]. |
| − | ==Life== | + | == Life == |
| − | |||
| − | Tönnies | + | Ferdinand Tönnies was born in a wealthy farmer's family in Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, then under Danish rule. He studied at several universities - University of Jena, University of Bonn, University of Leipzig, University of Berlin, and University of Tübingen. He received a doctorate in Tübingen in 1877, with a Latin thesis on the ancient Siwa Oasis. Four years later he became a private lecturer at the University of Kiel. Because he had sympathized with the Hamburg dockers' strike of 1896, the Prussian government considered him to be a social-democrat, and Tönnies was not called to a professorship until 1913. He held his post at the University of Kiel for only three years. He returned to the university as a professor emeritus in 1921 and taught until 1933 when he was ousted by the Nazis, due to his earlier publications criticizing them. |
| − | == | + | == Work == |
| − | + | Tönnies published over 900 works and contributed to many areas of sociology and philosophy. Many of his writings on sociological theories, including ''Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft'' (1887) furthered pure sociology. He coined the term ''[[Voluntarism]]''. Tönnies also contributed to the study of social change, particularly on public opinion, customs and technology, crime, and suicide. He also had a vivid interest in methodology, especially statistics, and sociological research, inventing his own technique of statistical association. | |
Tönnies distinguished between two types of social groupings. ''Gemeinschaft'' — often translated as ''[[Community|community]]'' — refers to groupings based on a feeling of togetherness. ''Gesellschaft'' — often translated as ''[[Society|society]]'' — on the other hand, refers to groups that are sustained by an instrumental goal. ''Gemeinschaft'' may by exemplified by a family or a neighbourhood; ''Gesellschaft'' by a joint-stock company or a state. | Tönnies distinguished between two types of social groupings. ''Gemeinschaft'' — often translated as ''[[Community|community]]'' — refers to groupings based on a feeling of togetherness. ''Gesellschaft'' — often translated as ''[[Society|society]]'' — on the other hand, refers to groups that are sustained by an instrumental goal. ''Gemeinschaft'' may by exemplified by a family or a neighbourhood; ''Gesellschaft'' by a joint-stock company or a state. | ||
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His distinction between social groupings is based on the assumption that there are only two basic forms of an actor's will, to approve of other men. (For Tönnies, such an approval is by no means self-evident, he is quite influenced by [[Thomas Hobbes]]' ''homo homini lupus''.) Following his "essential will" ("''Wesenwille''"), an actor will see himself as a means to serve the goals of social grouping; very often it is an underlying, subconscious force. Groupings formed around an essential will are called a ''Gemeinschaft''. The other will is the "arbitrary will" ("''Kürwille''"): An actor sees a social grouping as a means to further his individual goals; so it is purposive and future-oriented. Groupings around the latter are called ''Gesellschaft''. Whereas the membership in a ''Gemeinschaft'' is self-fulfilling, a ''Gesellschaft'' is instrumental for its members. In pure sociology — theoretically —, these two [[normal type]]s of will are to be strictly separated; in applied sociology — empirically — they are always mixed. | His distinction between social groupings is based on the assumption that there are only two basic forms of an actor's will, to approve of other men. (For Tönnies, such an approval is by no means self-evident, he is quite influenced by [[Thomas Hobbes]]' ''homo homini lupus''.) Following his "essential will" ("''Wesenwille''"), an actor will see himself as a means to serve the goals of social grouping; very often it is an underlying, subconscious force. Groupings formed around an essential will are called a ''Gemeinschaft''. The other will is the "arbitrary will" ("''Kürwille''"): An actor sees a social grouping as a means to further his individual goals; so it is purposive and future-oriented. Groupings around the latter are called ''Gesellschaft''. Whereas the membership in a ''Gemeinschaft'' is self-fulfilling, a ''Gesellschaft'' is instrumental for its members. In pure sociology — theoretically —, these two [[normal type]]s of will are to be strictly separated; in applied sociology — empirically — they are always mixed. | ||
| − | == | + | == Legacy == |
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| − | + | == Bibliography == | |
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| + | *Tönnies, F. (1887, 1912, 1957, 1988). ''Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft (Community and Society).'' Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0887387500. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1910). ''Thomas Hobbes, der Mann und der Denker''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1922/2000). ''Kritik der Öffentlichen Meinung (On Public Opinion).'' Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 074250168X | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1923/2000). Soziologische Studien und Kritiken. In ''Ferdinand Tonnies Gesamtausgabe: Bd 15: 1923-1925. Innere Kolonisation in Preuben, Soziologische Studien Und Kritiken''. Walter De Gruyter Inc. ISBN 3110158477 | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1931). ''Einführung in die Soziologie'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1935). ''Geist der Neuzeit''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Tönnies, F. (1998). ''Ferdinand Tönnies Gesamtausgabe (Tönnies' Complete Workes),'' 24 vols. (Lars Clausen, Alexander Deichsel, Cornelius Bickel, Rolf Fechner, and Carsten Schlüter-Knauer, Eds.). Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter Inc. ISBN 311015854X | ||
| + | |||
| + | == References == | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Carstens, Uwe. (2005). ''Ferdinand Tönnies - Friese und Weltbürger'', Norderstedt: Books on Demand. ISBN 3833429666 | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Deflem, Mathieu. (2001). Tönnies, Ferdinand (1855-1936). ''Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy''. Retrieved on June 13, 2006 (http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zToennies.html). | ||
| + | |||
| + | *Fechner, Rolf (1992). ''Ferdinand Tönnies - Werkverzeichnis'', Berlin/New York: Walter de Gryuter. ISBN 3110135191 | ||
| + | |||
| + | == External links == | ||
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*[http://www.ftg-kiel.de] Ferdinand-Tönnies-Gesellschaft | *[http://www.ftg-kiel.de] Ferdinand-Tönnies-Gesellschaft | ||
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{{Credit1|Ferdinand_Tönnies|57204254|}} | {{Credit1|Ferdinand_Tönnies|57204254|}} | ||
Revision as of 18:57, 13 June 2006
Ferdinand Tönnies (born July 26, 1855, near Oldenswort, Eiderstedt; died April 9, 1936, in Kiel, Germany) was a German sociologist. He was a major contributor to sociological theory and field studies, a co-founder of German Society of Sociology. He is best known for his distinction between two types of social groups - Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft.
Life
Ferdinand Tönnies was born in a wealthy farmer's family in Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, then under Danish rule. He studied at several universities - University of Jena, University of Bonn, University of Leipzig, University of Berlin, and University of Tübingen. He received a doctorate in Tübingen in 1877, with a Latin thesis on the ancient Siwa Oasis. Four years later he became a private lecturer at the University of Kiel. Because he had sympathized with the Hamburg dockers' strike of 1896, the Prussian government considered him to be a social-democrat, and Tönnies was not called to a professorship until 1913. He held his post at the University of Kiel for only three years. He returned to the university as a professor emeritus in 1921 and taught until 1933 when he was ousted by the Nazis, due to his earlier publications criticizing them.
Work
Tönnies published over 900 works and contributed to many areas of sociology and philosophy. Many of his writings on sociological theories, including Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft (1887) furthered pure sociology. He coined the term Voluntarism. Tönnies also contributed to the study of social change, particularly on public opinion, customs and technology, crime, and suicide. He also had a vivid interest in methodology, especially statistics, and sociological research, inventing his own technique of statistical association.
Tönnies distinguished between two types of social groupings. Gemeinschaft — often translated as community — refers to groupings based on a feeling of togetherness. Gesellschaft — often translated as society — on the other hand, refers to groups that are sustained by an instrumental goal. Gemeinschaft may by exemplified by a family or a neighbourhood; Gesellschaft by a joint-stock company or a state.
His distinction between social groupings is based on the assumption that there are only two basic forms of an actor's will, to approve of other men. (For Tönnies, such an approval is by no means self-evident, he is quite influenced by Thomas Hobbes' homo homini lupus.) Following his "essential will" ("Wesenwille"), an actor will see himself as a means to serve the goals of social grouping; very often it is an underlying, subconscious force. Groupings formed around an essential will are called a Gemeinschaft. The other will is the "arbitrary will" ("Kürwille"): An actor sees a social grouping as a means to further his individual goals; so it is purposive and future-oriented. Groupings around the latter are called Gesellschaft. Whereas the membership in a Gemeinschaft is self-fulfilling, a Gesellschaft is instrumental for its members. In pure sociology — theoretically —, these two normal types of will are to be strictly separated; in applied sociology — empirically — they are always mixed.
Legacy
Bibliography
- Tönnies, F. (1887, 1912, 1957, 1988). Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft (Community and Society). Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0887387500.
- Tönnies, F. (1910). Thomas Hobbes, der Mann und der Denker.
- Tönnies, F. (1922/2000). Kritik der Öffentlichen Meinung (On Public Opinion). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 074250168X
- Tönnies, F. (1923/2000). Soziologische Studien und Kritiken. In Ferdinand Tonnies Gesamtausgabe: Bd 15: 1923-1925. Innere Kolonisation in Preuben, Soziologische Studien Und Kritiken. Walter De Gruyter Inc. ISBN 3110158477
- Tönnies, F. (1931). Einführung in die Soziologie
- Tönnies, F. (1935). Geist der Neuzeit.
- Tönnies, F. (1998). Ferdinand Tönnies Gesamtausgabe (Tönnies' Complete Workes), 24 vols. (Lars Clausen, Alexander Deichsel, Cornelius Bickel, Rolf Fechner, and Carsten Schlüter-Knauer, Eds.). Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter Inc. ISBN 311015854X
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Carstens, Uwe. (2005). Ferdinand Tönnies - Friese und Weltbürger, Norderstedt: Books on Demand. ISBN 3833429666
- Deflem, Mathieu. (2001). Tönnies, Ferdinand (1855-1936). Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved on June 13, 2006 (http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zToennies.html).
- Fechner, Rolf (1992). Ferdinand Tönnies - Werkverzeichnis, Berlin/New York: Walter de Gryuter. ISBN 3110135191
External links
- [1] Ferdinand-Tönnies-Gesellschaft
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