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)
Death in modern society is secluded.
Contemporaries of Norbert Elias
Other Sociologys born within 50 years of Norbert Elias (1897–1990).