“Sociologos: Platonic Dialogue” by Alexander Goldenweizer and “Pseudo-Sociologos. A Reply to Professor Goldenweiser” by Pitirim Sorokin. Transl. from Eng. by V.V. Sapov

Abstract

For the reader’s consideration— an article never before translated to Russian written by American anthropologist Alexander Goldenweiser, where he attempts to dismantle the first three volumes of Pitirim Sorokin’s “Social and Cultural Dynamics” that came out in 1937. In it he comprehensively criticizes Sorokin’s “Dynamics” to the point where he completely refutes all of it. The article is written in the form of a “platonic dialog” partaken by world famous scientists, artists and sociologists, with Socrates himself presiding on this “Areopagus”, who, after hearing out the prosecution, sentences Sorokin to capital punishment. Sorokin responded with an article where he analyzed all charges against him and issued his own decisive verdict— “not guilty”. The publication is meant to commemorate 85 years since the release of the first three volumes of “Social and Cultural Dynamics”.