Historical-Sociological Notes on “Foreword” written by Pitirim A. Sorokin to F. Tönnies’ “Community and Society”

Abstract

This article presents an introduction to the publication of “Foreword” (1940) — prepared by P.A. Sorokin (1889–1968), a Russian and American sociologist — for the first American edition of “Community and Society” (1887) by F. Tönnies (1855‒1936), a German sociologist. “Foreword” is examined as a standalone theoretical piece in order to complete the historical-sociological facts and circumstances of its creation and publication, the ideological connections of the text in question with any other theories, and above all — with the sociology created by F. Tönnies. In “Foreword”, which is filled with references to ideas by major representatives of Chinese, European and Arab cultures and to the social values in their ideological heritage, P.A. Sorokin established the universal character of the social organization types introduced by F. Tönnies — “community and society” (“Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft” in German) — and stated his ideological affiliation to this dichotomy. Thus, the project for the theory of society and social evolution by P.A. Sorokin has been shown to cover both social forms introduced by F. Tönnies. The identified social values, which constitute an independent foundation for Sorokin’s theory of society and social evolution, help in developing the gnoseological aspect of his sociology. The writing of F. Tönnies, as well as P.A. Sorokin’s “Foreword”, defined their era. They include multiple points for incorporating new ideas in order to expand and evolve the theory of modern society.