Norbert Elias
German-British sociologist who traced the civilizing process and the dynamics of power in social figurations.
Most quoted
"The civilizing process is a transformation of human conduct and feeling in a specific direction: towards an increasing differentiation and refinement of behaviour, a heightened sensitivity to the feelings of others, and a more comprehensive and stable control over impulses."
— from The Civilizing Process, 1939
"The 'civilized' person is not necessarily a 'better' person, but a person whose emotional life is more differentiated and controlled."
— from The Civilizing Process, 1939
"The study of history is not merely a recounting of past events, but an attempt to understand the processes of social change."
— from Involvement and Detachment, 1987
All quotes by Norbert Elias (101)
The 'nobility' at court were constantly engaged in a struggle for status and recognition.
The 'civilizing process' is not limited to Europe, but a universal human phenomenon.
The 'human sciences' must overcome the false dichotomy between nature and culture.
The 'sociologist' must be aware of their own involvement in the social world they study.
The 'past' is not a foreign country, but a part of our present.
The 'future' is not a destiny, but a possibility.
The 'human being' is a creature of habit and routine, but also capable of change and innovation.
The 'social' is not an abstract concept, but a lived reality.
The 'civilizing process' is a process of increasing interdependence and differentiation.
The 'human being' is a being that constantly seeks meaning and purpose.
Civilization is a process in which both the standards of conduct and the standards of manners are gradually elevated.
The civilizing process is a process of the monopolization of physical violence by the state.
Man is the prisoner of his drives, but he is also their master.
The history of manners is the history of the individual becoming more dependent on others.
Self-control is the core of civilization.
The concept of the individual is a product of the civilizing process.
Power is not just coercion; it is also the ability to shape the social figurations.
Emotions are not private; they are social and historical.
The civilizing process involves a transformation in the structure of affects.
Society is a web of interdependencies.
Contemporaries of Norbert Elias
Other Sociologys born within 50 years of Norbert Elias (1897–1990).