P a forty. Sorokin pitirim, biography, main theories and significance of works for sociology

Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin(January 23, 1889, the village of Turya, Vologda province - February 10, 1968, Winchester, Massachusetts, USA) - Russian, American sociologist and culturologist. One of the founders of the theories social stratification and social mobility.

In Pitirim Sorokin's Public Textbook of Sociology, which contains articles different years, stands out the work "Nationality, the national question and social equality" written in the Russian period of the life of Pitirim Sorokin. Analyzing the concept of nationality, Sorokin came to the conclusion that none of the existing theories knows the answer to the question of what nationality is, and cannot clearly substantiate the main factors that unite people into a nation (language, religion, common historical memories, etc.). ). Developing the idea that any association of people can be considered social, "when this connection in its own way social functions or social role represents something unified when its parts act in the same direction and represent a single whole”, he noted that the problem of national identity has a social character. Considering this problem in the legal plane, Sorokin substantiates the idea that national inequality is only private form general social inequality. “Therefore, he continues, whoever wants to fight against the first must fight against the second, which appears in a thousand forms of our life, and quite often much more tangible and heavy.” "The complete legal equality of the individual" is the exhaustive slogan. Whoever fights for it fights against national demarcations." Speaking about the principles of building a future Europe, Sorokin called for abandoning utopia nation state as the basis for the reconstruction of the map of Europe. "Salvation is not national principle, - he argued, - and in the federation of states, in the super-state organization of all Europe on the basis of the equality of all individuals included in it, - and since they form a similar group, - and peoples.

Sorokin considered social life as complex system, consisting of subsystems related to the sphere of religion, ethics, economics, politics, law, science, art, etc. In the main book "Social and Cultural Dynamics", based on an empirical and statistical study of these subsystems of the general to the conclusion that in the history of mankind there are three supersystems that periodically replace each other: ideational, idealistic and sensual. Each of them is characterized by an understanding of reality that corresponds only to it, the nature of needs, the degree and methods of their satisfaction. "Every great culture, wrote Sorokin, - there is not just a conglomerate of various phenomena that coexist, but are in no way connected with each other, but there is unity or individuality, all the constituent parts are permeated with one fundamental principle and express one and the main value. The ideational type of culture is characterized by a comprehensive, that is, existing in science, art, philosophy, law, etc., and even in everyday life, an orientation towards transcendental (otherworldly, supersensible) values. In the culture of the sensual type, on the contrary, material and materialistic values ​​prevail. In the idealistic type, the values ​​of cultures of two other types are synthesized. Along with this, there is also a type of culture in which the values ​​of the sensual, ideational and idealistic types coexist without forming an organic connection. This type of culture is typical, as a rule, for the era of decline. The meaning of the concept of sociocultural dynamics proposed by Sorokin lies in the fact that each of these cyclically replacing each other types of culture has its own laws of development and growth limits.

The main idea of ​​Pitirim Sorokin as a sociologist is the idea of ​​integralism, according to which sociological knowledge will develop towards the creation of a generalizing theory of structure and dynamics, various socio-cultural systems, and the contradictory diversity of really existing socio-cultural systems in the future will be transformed into a kind of integral socio-cultural system. Sociological metatheory, according to Sorokin, should integrate all the humanitarian knowledge of its time into an integral system. And at the end of their lives, they were given tasks and outlined the prospects for unification within the framework of such a system, not only humanitarian, but also natural scientific knowledge. The absence in contemporary Sorokin of sociology of a pronounced tendency towards such an integration of scientific knowledge, compatibility and complementarity of numerous analytical and factual theories, he considered as a serious danger threatening the further creative growth of sociology. Modern sociological knowledge, Sorokin noted, “is reminiscent of the knowledge of some unassembled pieces of a children's designer. The riddle remains unsolved despite knowing its parts." If sociology remains in this position indefinitely, “it will condemn itself to a sterile state of knowing more and more about less and less; if it chooses the path of growth, it must eventually enter the phase of a synthesizing, generalizing and integrative sociology.” Pitirim Sorokin predicted the transition of sociology to new period great synthesis when various theories, each containing its share of truth, will increasingly be integrated into the synthesized theories of the coming sociology. A similar focus on integral knowledge was also characteristic of his interpretation of law. He sought to provide a generalization of historical, sociocultural and methodological information about the phenomenon of law within the framework of a generalized "synthetic" theory of law.

About ideas

The main ideas regarding social space were formulated by P. Sorokin in his classic work "Social Mobility", published in 1927.

In this work, P. Sorokin, first of all, emphasized the impossibility of combining or even comparing such concepts as "geometric space" and "social space". According to him, a person of the lower class can physically come into contact with a noble person, but this circumstance will not in the least reduce the economic, prestige or power differences existing between them, i.e. will not reduce the existing social distance. Thus, two people between whom there are significant property, family, official or other social differences cannot be in the same social space, even if they are embracing. In addition, P. Sorokin determined that the social space is multidimensional. This means that in some communities an individual may occupy a high social status, while in others it may be much lower. Consequently, each individual in society lives in several social spaces, interconnected in such a way that a change in one status changes other statuses or positions located in other social dimensions.

Numerous studies and observations of the behavior of individuals in social groups show that people with the same or similar statuses have closer contacts and closer relationships with each other. A person, being surrounded by people close to them in status, feel more comfortable; they do not have a feeling of inferiority or, conversely, superiority in relation to each other. People begin to unconsciously or consciously seek among social environment like themselves and create social groups on this basis. In other words, they "master" their own social space. By singling out people of “his circle” and identifying himself with them, each person begins to adhere to cultural patterns and values ​​similar to those that are accepted and functionally mastered among people with similar or identical statuses. In addition, numerous studies have shown that people who are close or identical with in several dimensions of social space, as a rule, have similar attitudes and orientations, likes and dislikes, political priorities, and many other components of the structure of thinking.

In accordance with the theory of P. Sorokin, everyone occupies several statuses in society in various social structures, which allows us to talk not about social space, but about social spaces, each of which is structured. Indicators of the statuses of each of the individuals are different. Thus, a rich person (ie, one who has a fairly high status in the socio-economic structure) may have a low position in the organization, and, consequently, an extremely low official status.

P. Sorokin believes that stratification in society can be of three types: economic, political and professional. This means that we must divide society according to the criteria of income (and wealth, i.e., accumulation), according to the criteria for influencing the behavior of members of society, and, finally, according to the criteria associated with the successful fulfillment of social roles by the availability of knowledge, skills and intuition, which evaluated and rewarded by members of the society.

The point of view of K. Sorokin is successfully developed by his student, one of the prominent teachers of the Harvard School in sociology, a representative of functionalism T. Parsons, who believes that stratification is based on value orientations members of the society. At the same time, the assessment and attribution of people to certain social strata is carried out according to the following main criteria:

• - qualitative characteristics of members of society, which are determined by genetic traits and prescribed statuses (origin, family ties, personal qualities and abilities)
• - role characteristics, which are determined by the set of roles that an individual performs in society (position, level of professionalism, level of knowledge, etc.);
• - the characteristics of the possession of material and spiritual values ​​(money, means of production, works of art, the possibilities of spiritual and ideological influence on other strata of society, etc.).

Attempts to explain the mechanism of stratification of society have been made repeatedly in different periods human history. However, only in recent decades of our century, we were able to teach to comprehend this most important social problem, without understanding which it is impossible to explain the processes taking place in society, to imagine the future of this society.

All social movements of the individual or social group included in the mobility process. According to the definition of P. Sorokin, “social mobility is understood as any transition of an individual, or a social object, or a value created or modified through activity, from one social position to another.”

P. Sorokin distinguishes two types of social mobility: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal mobility is the transition of an individual or social object from one social position to another, lying on the same level, for example, the transition of an individual from one family to another, from one religious group to another, as well as a change of residence. In all these cases, the individual does not change the social stratum to which he belongs, or social status. But the most important process is vertical mobility, which is a set of interactions that facilitate the transition of an individual or a social object from one social stratum to another. This includes, for example, a promotion (professional upward mobility), a significant improvement in well-being (economic upward mobility), or a move to a higher social stratum to another level of power (political vertical mobility).

Society can elevate the status of some individuals and lower the status of others. And this is understandable: some individuals who have talent, energy, youth should force out other individuals who do not possess these qualities from the highest statuses. Depending on this, upward and downward social mobility, or social upsurge and social downfall, are distinguished. The upward currents of professional, economic and political mobility exist in two main forms: as an individual upsurge, or infiltration of individuals from a lower stratum to a higher stratum, and as the creation of new groups of individuals with the inclusion of groups in a higher stratum next to existing groups this layer or instead of them. Similarly, downward mobility exists both in the form of pushing individual individuals from high social statuses to lower ones, and in the form of lowering the social statuses of an entire group. An example of the second form of downward mobility is the decline in the social status of a professional group of engineers that once held very high positions in our society, or the decline in the status of a political party that is losing real power. According to the figurative expression of P. Sorokin, "the first case of decline resembles the fall of a man from a ship; the second is a ship that sank with everyone on board."

Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin(1889-1968) - one of the most prominent classics of sociology, who had a great influence on its development in the 20th century. Sometimes P. Sorokin is called not a Russian sociologist, but an American one. Indeed, chronologically, the “Russian” period of his activity is strictly limited to 1922, the year of his expulsion from Russia. However, the formation of Sorokin's sociological views, as well as his political position, took place precisely in his homeland, in conditions of wars, revolutions, struggles. political parties and scientific schools. In the main work of the "Russian" period - the two-volume "System of Sociology" (1920) - he formulates the basic principles of the theory of social stratification and social mobility (he introduced these terms into scientific circulation), structures theoretical sociology, highlighting in it social analytics, social mechanics and social genetics.

basis sociological analysis Sorokin considers individuals, which he considers as a generic model of both a social group and society as a whole. He subdivides social groups into organized and unorganized, paying special attention to the analysis of the hierarchical structure of an organized social group. Within the groups there are strata (layers) distinguished by economic, political and professional characteristics. Sorokin argued that a society without stratification and inequality is a myth. The forms and proportions of the stratification may change, but its essence is constant. Stratification is an invariable characteristic of any organized society and exists in a non-democratic society and in a society with a "thriving democracy".

Sorokin speaks of the presence in society of social mobility of two types - vertical and horizontal. Social mobility means a transition from one social position to another, a kind of “elevator” for moving both within a social group and between groups. Social stratification and mobility in society are predetermined by the fact that people are not equal in their physical forces, mental ability, inclinations, tastes, etc.; moreover, by the very fact of their joint activity. Team work necessarily requires organization, and organization is unthinkable without leaders and subordinates. Since society is always stratified, it is characterized by inequality, but this inequality must be reasonable.

Society should strive for a state in which a person can develop his abilities, and science and the intuition of the masses, and not revolution, can help society in this. In The Sociology of the Revolution (1925), Sorokin calls the revolution " great tragedy” and defines it as “a death machine, deliberately destroying on both sides the most healthy and able-bodied, the most outstanding, gifted, strong-willed and mentally qualified elements of the population.” The revolution is accompanied by violence and cruelty, the reduction of freedom, and not its increment. It deforms the social structure of society and worsens the economic and cultural position of the working class. The only way to improve and reconstruct social life can only be reforms carried out by legal and constitutional means. Each reform should be preceded by a scientific study of specific social conditions, and each reform must first be "tested" on a small social scale.

The theoretical heritage of Sorokin and his contribution to the development of domestic and world sociology can hardly be overestimated, so rich is his deeply meaningful, theoretically and methodologically supported knowledge of social reality and trends in the future development of society.

Sociology P. Sorokin

Pitirim Sorokin(1889-1968) created sociological theory called "integral". It viewed society as a socio-cultural system. He singled out four sections in sociology: the doctrine of society, social mechanics (definition statistical laws society), social genetics (the origin and development of society), social policy (private sociological science).

An element of society is the interaction of individuals. It is divided into template and non-template, one-sided and two-sided, antagonistic and non-antagonistic. Society is the process and result of social interaction (the interaction of many individuals). Its result is their adaptation to the environment. In the process of such adaptation, the social order of society arises, the main trend in the development of which is social equality.

Development human society occurs through evolution and revolution. Social evolution represents a gradual and progressive development based on knowledge of society, reforms, cooperation of people, striving for social equality. Social the revolution - rapid, deep progressive or regressive development of society, based on the violence of one class over another. It changes the nature of social equality.

Based on the experience of personal participation in two Russian revolutions 1917, P. Sorokin highlights their main causes: the suppression of the basic needs of the majority of the population by the existing social system, the inefficiency of this social order, the weakness of public law enforcement forces. The social revolution passes through the stages revolutionary explosion when basic needs find their way out and destroy the country, and counterrevolutions when curbing those needs.

Pitirim Sorokin developed a theory of the division of society into many social strata (strata) depending on wealth, power, education, etc.

He also has priority in the discovery of the theory of social mobility, movement from one social stratum to another.

Sorokin also owns the theory of civilizational stages of human development as spiritual and cultural formations. Civilization according to P. Sorokin is a historical community of people united by some type of worldview (ideals, values, methods of cognition). The development of mankind demonstrates three phases of such civilizational development, in which the civilizational and ideological basis of the unification of people changes. ideational civilization is based on one type or another religious outlook and dominated during the Middle Ages. Its ideal is the desire to save the human soul. sensitive civilization arises on the basis of a materialistic worldview and is a negation of ideational civilization. Her ideal is wealth and comfort. It is characteristic of the industrial stage of human development. idealistic civilization arises on the basis of the convergence of the religious and materialistic worldview, taking everything positive from its components. It is characteristic of the last stage of industrialism.

The biography of Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin, the author of a number of well-known sociological theories, contains all the dramatic events of the first half of the twentieth century. He was a direct witness to many of the sharp turns in history that befell Russia in that era. One of the most prominent sociologists in the world survived under the tsarist regime, two revolutions, a civil war and exile from the country. Unfortunately, the importance scientific papers Pitirim Sorokin was not appreciated either in Russia or in the United States of America, which became his second home. The exceptionally erudite sociologist wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles, subsequently translated into forty-eight languages. According to many modern experts, his theories, revealing the problems and contradictions of human society, remain relevant today.

Family

future scientist and political figure was born in 1889 in the biography of Pitirim Sorokin began in a small village called Turya. His father, an icon decorator, was engaged in restoration work in churches. Mother died as a result of an illness at the age of thirty four years. This tragedy became Sorokin's first childhood memory. The father taught Pitirim and his older brother Vasily the subtleties of his profession. The head of the family did not marry a second time and tried to cope with grief from the loss of a loved one with vodka. After the father drank to delirium tremens, the sons left home and became itinerant artisans.

Youth

A brief biography of Pitirim Sorokin is set out in his book entitled "The Long Road". In his memoirs, the author recalls his early years and describes in detail the event that became a turning point in his difficult fate. Almost by accident, getting into the entrance exams in special institution in the training of teachers for parochial schools, he passed the test and was enrolled. Even though living on a tiny stipend was challenging task, two years later Sorokin successfully completed his education. For excellent results, he was given the opportunity to continue his studies at public expense.

Student years

In 1904, Sorokin began his studies at the school for the training of teachers. At that time, political unrest raged in the Russian Empire. The fermentation of minds at all times was typical of the student environment. The future sociologist joined a revolutionary group that adhered to populist ideology. This period of the biography of Pitirim Sorokin played a significant role in shaping his worldview and value system.

His passionate nature did not allow him to remain aloof from the dangerous illegal activities of the circle of revolutionaries. As a result, the student was arrested by the police on suspicion of political unreliability. He spent several months in prison. Thanks to the liberal attitude of the guards, the revolutionaries, while in prison, communicated almost freely with each other and with the outside world. According to Sorokin's memoirs, the time spent in prison made it possible to get acquainted with the classic works of socialist philosophers.

Having been released from prison, the future famous sociologist decided to stop participating in the revolutionary struggle and devote himself to science. After a couple of years of wandering around the country, he managed to enter the Faculty of Law State University in St. Petersburg. In the biography of Pitirim Sorokin began new stage, opening the way to academic heights for a young talent.

Scientific activity

As a university student, he showed amazing performance. Behind a short time Sorokin wrote and published a large number of reviews and abstracts. He actively cooperated with a number of specialized scientific journals devoted to the issues of psychology and sociology. The main achievement of this period of the biography of Pitirim Sorokin was a book called "Crime and Punishment, Feat and Reward". She received very high marks in academic circles.

Despite the tense scientific work, Sorokin returned to political activity and again attracted the attention of the police. In order to avoid trouble on the part of the guardians of the law, he was forced, using a false passport, to leave for Western Europe and stay there for several months. After returning to Russia, the scientist wrote a pamphlet criticizing the monarchist state structure. This led to another arrest. Sorokin managed to get out of prison only thanks to the intercession of his mentor Maxim Kovalevsky, who was a member of the Duma.

World War I years

After graduating from the university, a talented Russian scientist lectured on sociology and was preparing to receive the title of professor. During the World War he continued to publish his literary works, among which there was even one fantastic story. The beginning of the revolution prevented the defense of the dissertation.

In the dramatic year of 1917, Sorokin married Elena Baratynskaya, a hereditary noblewoman from the Crimea. They met on one of literary evenings. The couple was destined to share all the joys and sorrows and remain together until the end of their lives.

Revolution and Civil War

In a brief biography of Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin, it is impossible to mention all the events that he witnessed and directly participated in during the turbulent years of the collapse of the Russian Empire. The scientist assisted the work of the Provisional Government and even acted as secretary to the Prime Minister Alexander Kerensky. Sorokin, before others, saw a serious threat in the Bolshevik Party and demanded the use of harsh measures to strengthen order and stabilize the situation in the country.

After October revolution he got into a fight with Soviet power and took part in an attempt to overthrow her in the Arkhangelsk province. Sorokin was arrested by the Bolsheviks and sentenced to death. However, in exchange for a public promise to give up political activity, he was not only spared his life, but also returned his freedom. Sorokin resumed scientific and teaching work at the university. After graduation civil war he received the title of professor and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in sociology.

Exile

In 1922, mass arrests of representatives of the intelligentsia began on suspicion of dissent and disloyal attitude towards the Bolshevik government. Among those detained by the Moscow Extraordinary Commission was Sorokin. Those arrested were offered a simple choice: be shot or leave the Soviet country forever. The doctor of sociological sciences and his wife went to Germany and then to the United States of America. They took with them only two suitcases, which contained the most important - handwritten main works. Biography of Pitirim Sorokin from the beginning of his academic career to the moment of expulsion from home country began to be called the Russian period of his work. The famous scientist was deported forever, but escaped physical punishment and was able to continue his work in distant America.

Life and work in the USA

In 1923, Sorokin came to the United States to lecture on the revolutionary events in Russia. He received collaboration offers from the Universities of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. It took Sorokin less than a year to become fluent in English language. In America, he wrote and published a book called "Pages of a Russian Diary", which is a personal memoir of a scientist about a turbulent revolutionary time.

The works of Pitirim Sorokin, created in exile, made a significant contribution to world sociology. In just a few years of living in the United States, he wrote a lot of scientific papers in which he outlined his theories of the structure of human society. Sorokin became a prominent figure in American academic circles and received an offer to head the Department of Sociology at the world famous Harvard University. It may seem incredible, but according to contemporaries, he continued to maintain relations with friends who remained in Russia, even during the period of Stalinist repression. After many years of fruitful work at Harvard, Sorokin retired and devoted the rest of his life to gardening. He died in 1968 at his home in Massachusetts.

Ideas and books

Particular attention of readers was attracted by the work of Pitirim Sorokin "Sociology of the Revolution", published by him shortly after moving to America. In this book, he emphasizes the inefficiency of forcible change of state system, since in practice such actions always lead to a reduction in personal freedom and the suffering of millions of people. According to the author, revolutions devalue human life and breed general cruelty. As an alternative, Sorokin proposes peaceful constitutional reforms that pursue not utopian but real goals. The ideas of one of the greatest sociologists in history are not outdated in our time.

Pitirim Sorokin was the second son in the family. His older brother, Vasily, was born in 1885, and younger brother- Procopius, born in 1893.

Pitirim's mother died on March 7, 1894 in the village of Kokvitsy, where the family stayed after the birth of their youngest child. After her death, Pitirim and his older brother Vasily stayed with their father, wandering around the villages with him in search of work, and Procopius was taken by her mother's older sister, Anisya Vasilyevna Rimskikh, who lived with her husband, Vasily Ivanovich, in the village of Rimya.

Pitirim's father was prone to excessive drinking, as a result of which he had attacks of delirium tremens. During one of these attacks, he beat his sons very severely (traces of trauma upper lip remained with Pitirim for several years), which led to the fact that the brothers left him and did not meet him until his death in 1900. The independent life of the brothers developed quite successfully, they managed to receive orders for painting and decorating churches, making icon frames.

However, the teaching was not forgotten. If Pitirim's education was previously unsystematic, then, working in the village of Palevitsy (now the Syktyvdinsky district), he graduated from the school of diplomas. And soon the life of Pitirim Sorokin changed dramatically. In the autumn of 1901, the Sorokin brothers were invited to work in the village of Gam by the priest of the Gamovsky church, Ivan Stepanovich Pokrovsky, a distant relative of his father, who at one time helped him settle in the Komi Territory. He also directed the Gamskoy parochial second-class school, where teachers were trained for literacy schools in villages and villages. As he writes in his literary biography Pitirim Sorokin, after listening to the questions and finding them easy, he unexpectedly volunteered to be examined along with other children. Having victoriously passed all the tests, he was accepted into the school and received a scholarship of five rubles, of which for one year a room and meals in a school hostel were paid. The subjects studied at the school included Church Slavonic, the Law of God, church singing, calligraphy, Russian, natural history, and arithmetic. On June 2, 1904, Pitirim graduated with honors from the Gama second-class school.

Thanks to the excellent recommendations of the well-known educator of the Komi people Alexander Nikolaevich Obraztsov, who, after the death of Pokrovsky, took over as director of the school, Pitirim gets the opportunity to continue his studies at the church and teacher's theological seminary in the village of Khrenovo, Kostroma province, where he became friends with the future economist Nikolai Kondratiev.

Revolutionary youth

University years

After three semesters of study, in February 1909, Pitirim leaves for relatives in Veliky Ustyug, where he is already preparing himself for the final exam for the gymnasium course. In May 1909, he successfully passed this exam, and after a summer vacation, he returned to St. Petersburg in September to continue his education. In St. Petersburg, Sorokin managed to overcome the last obstacle on the way to higher education - in the office of the governor, he receives a "certificate of reliability." Pitirim decided to enter, opened in 1908 on the initiative of V. M. Bekhterev. The Institute delivered lectures on a wide range of disciplines: anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, biology, psychology, philosophy, logic, sociology, literature, art, mathematics, and law. The choice of Pitirim played a role not only in its more flexible system of education compared to the university, but also in the fact that the first department of sociology was opened at the Psychoneurological Institute, the founders of which were two world-famous sociologists of the early 20th century - M. M. Kovalevsky and E. W. DeRoberti. However, it was not without difficulties. Education at the institute was paid, and it was necessary to pay 150 rubles for a year of study. Pitirim managed to find only 30 rubles, and promised to pay the remaining 45 rubles for the first half of his studies in September under the guarantee of Professor Zhakov. However, the money was never paid not only for the first, but also for the second half of the year, as a result of which, at the beginning of 1910, he was suspended from work and, together with his friend in misfortune, N. D. Kondratyev, left for the village of Baki, Varnavinsky district, Kostroma province . In June 1910, Pitirim filed an application for enrollment in the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, which was granted in mid-July of the same year. At the end of August, Pitirim returns to St. Petersburg to begin his studies. It should be noted that the Faculty of Law was not chosen by chance. Most courses involving sociological problems, is read at that time at this faculty. Among the professors of the faculty are M. M. Kovalevsky, L. I. Petrazhitsky, M. I. Tugan-Baranovsky, N. N. Rozin, A. A. Zhizhilenko, I. A. Pokrovsky and D. D. Grimm. In 1910, the first publications of Pitirim appear, in which he summarizes the results of his ethnographic expeditions. These are the article “Remnants of animism among the Zyryans” published in the “Proceedings of the Arkhangelsk Society for the Study of the Russian North” and the fictional story “Ryt-pukalom” (Evening gatherings), published in the Arkhangelsk Gubernskiye Vedomosti.

Pitirim graduated from the university in 1914, and was left at the department of criminal law to prepare for a professorship. Since 1915 - editor of the newspaper "Narodnaya Mysl" (together with P. Vityazev and A. Ghisetti). Since 1916 - Privatdozent.

Revolution years

Out of politics

After moving away from politics, Sorokin focuses on scientific and teaching activities: collaborated with the People's Commissariat of Education, took part in educational and scientific expeditions. He lectures at the Petrograd University, the Psychoneurological Institute, the Agricultural Institute, the Institute of the National Economy, at various "trainings", educational programs. In 1920, Sorokin published the two-volume System of Sociology. However, claims from the authorities begin against Sorokin. His book "Hunger as a factor", prepared for publication, is being destroyed.

Emigration

Children

In 1931 and 1933, sons were born to the Sorokins - Peter and Sergey. At Harvard, both sons defended their dissertations: Peter - in applied physics, Sergey - in biology.

After the birth of Peter, the Sorokin family moved from Cambridge to Winchester, where they purchased a house.

Scientific legacy of Pitirim Sorokin

Jurisprudence

Sorokin formed the Russian school of sociology of criminal law and criminology.

Based on the psychological school of law of his teacher L. I. Petrazhitsky, Sorokin proposed to qualify an act as criminal on the basis of specific experiences of the individual, as a result of which the individual himself considers the act to be criminal. This was fundamentally different from the position of the French sociologist E. Durkheim, who believed that an act is criminal when "it offends strong and certain states of the collective consciousness." Sorokin believed that Durkheim's approach places the individual in complete submission to the collective consciousness. Sorokin admitted that if a person is ahead of his society and from a higher moral position rejects the patterns of behavior of society, then such a person is not a criminal. On the contrary, imposed patterns of behavior are criminal because they offend the higher individual consciousness.

Sorokin divided the rules of individual behavior into permitted, prohibited and recommended.

The stronger part of society, he believed, imposes its patterns of behavior on the rest, through two kinds of incentives - positive (rewards) and negative (punishment). Based on analysis historical experience different peoples, Sorokin came to the conclusion that with the complication of social development, with the growth of social differentiation and with the expansion of social interaction, the rate of change in behavior patterns increases.

They become more flexible, easier to change and, as a result, no longer require the use of harsh incentives (in the form of harsh punishment and significant rewards) that are characteristic of early eras. Thus, as cultural development society, the importance of punishment and reward as a regulator of behavior and a factor in reducing social conflicts decreases.

Peru Pitirim Sorokin owns one of the first Russian textbooks on general theory rights. Critically analyzing various approaches to the concept of law in his textbook, Sorokin interpreted law as generally binding rules of conduct issued and protected by the state, in which the freedom of one person is consistent with the freedom of other persons in order to distinguish and protect human interests.

Thus, the ideas of Rudolf Iering and Korkunov about law as a form of protection and delimitation of interests are supplemented by Pitirim Sorokin with a very important characteristic of law as a form of harmonizing the freedom of various subjects. legal regulation. Freedom of the individual, according to Sorokin, is the goal legal development, and the measure of the emancipation of the individual, the expansion of his fundamental rights and freedoms - this is the criterion of the legal progress of mankind.

Describing the social role of law, Sorokin interpreted law as the constitutive principle of any social group. All social formations and institutions (family, state, church, party, trade unions, school, university, organized group criminals, etc.), he considered as a socio-practical form of objectification and personification legal regulations and the opinions of all or a decisive majority of the members of the relevant social education. It also affected some influence on Sorokin psychological theory L. I. Petrazhitsky’s law, according to which any group of persons (including criminals) has its own intuitive (unofficial) right that determines the behavior of the group.

Much attention in the textbook by Pitirim Sorokin is given to the problem of the interaction of law and morality. Morality and law of all peoples, of all times, wrote he is good and proper behavior towards “neighbors” was considered behavior that coincided with the commandment of love and solidarity, and not behavior guided by the covenant of hatred for one’s neighbor, causing harm to him, that is, socially harmful behavior. Such is the practical experience of mankind and the criterion indicated by it for the improvement or deterioration of both the law itself and the moral and legal state of mankind. The same criterion is dictated by the modern moral and legal conscience of mankind. To this topic, Sorokin repeatedly returned in later works of the American period (primarily in the book "Politics and Morals. Who Should Guard the Guard?" and in the second volume of his famous "Social and Cultural Dynamics", entirely devoted to the problems of "fluctuations of systems of truth , ethics and law). Developing his previous approaches, Sorokin considered law as the most accurate indicator of changes taking place in rights and in the ethno-legal mentality.

Sociology

Pitirim Sorokin's "Publicly Accessible Textbook of Sociology", which contains articles from different years, highlights the work "Nationality, the National Question and Social Equality" written during the Russian period of Pitirim Sorokin's life. Analyzing the concept of nationality, Sorokin came to the conclusion that none of the existing theories knows the answer to the question of what nationality is, and cannot clearly substantiate the main factors that unite people into a nation (language, religion, common historical memories, etc.). ). Developing the idea that any association of people can be considered social, "when this connection in terms of its social functions or social role represents something unified, when its parts act in the same direction and represent a single whole", he noted that the problem of national identity has a social character. Considering this problem in the legal plane, Sorokin substantiates the idea that national inequality is only a particular form of general social inequality. “Therefore, he continues, whoever wants to fight against the first must fight against the second, which appears in a thousand forms of our life, and quite often much more tangible and heavy.” "The complete legal equality of the individual" is the exhaustive slogan. Whoever fights for it fights against national demarcations." Speaking about the principles of building a future Europe, Sorokin called for abandoning the utopia of the nation state as the basis for reorganizing the map of Europe. "Salvation is not in the national principle," he argued, "but in a federation of states, in superstate organization of the whole of Europe on the basis of the equality of all the individuals included in it - and since they form a similar group - and peoples.

After the expulsion from Russia, the interests of the scientist focused mainly on common processes social organization and a broad review of the history of mankind from the standpoint of a theoretical sociological approach. Sorokin considered social life as a complex system consisting of subsystems related to the sphere of religion, ethics, economics, politics, law, science, art, etc. In the main book “Social and Cultural Dynamics”, based on an empirical and statistical study of these subsystems common “sociocultural system”, the scientist came to the conclusion that in the history of mankind there are three supersystems that periodically replace each other: ideational, idealistic and sensual. Each of them is characterized by an understanding of reality that corresponds only to it, the nature of needs, the degree and methods of their satisfaction. “Any great culture,” wrote Sorokin, “is not just a conglomeration of diverse phenomena that coexist but are in no way connected with each other, but there is unity or individuality, all the constituent parts are permeated with one fundamental principle and express one and the main value.” The ideational type of culture is characterized by a comprehensive, that is, existing in science, art, philosophy, law, etc., and even in everyday life, an orientation towards transcendental (otherworldly, supersensible) values. In the culture of the sensual type, on the contrary, material and materialistic values ​​prevail. In the idealistic type, the values ​​of cultures of two other types are synthesized. Along with this, there is also a type of culture in which the values ​​of the sensual, ideational and idealistic types coexist without forming an organic connection. This type of culture is typical, as a rule, for the era of decline. The meaning of the concept of sociocultural dynamics proposed by Sorokin lies in the fact that each of these cyclically replacing each other types of culture has its own laws of development and growth limits.

The main idea of ​​Pitirim Sorokin as a sociologist is the idea of ​​integralism, according to which sociological knowledge will develop towards the creation of a general theory of structure and dynamics, various sociocultural systems, and the contradictory diversity of real-life sociocultural systems will in the future be transformed into a kind of integral sociocultural system. Sociological metatheory, according to Sorokin, should integrate all the humanitarian knowledge of its time into an integral system. And at the end of their lives, they were given tasks and outlined the prospects for uniting, within the framework of such a system, not only humanitarian, but also natural science knowledge. The absence in contemporary Sorokin of sociology of a pronounced tendency towards such an integration of scientific knowledge, compatibility and complementarity of numerous analytical and factual theories, he considered as a serious danger threatening the further creative growth of sociology. Modern sociological knowledge, Sorokin noted, “is reminiscent of the knowledge of some unassembled pieces of a children's designer. The riddle remains unsolved despite knowing its parts." If sociology remains in this position indefinitely, “it will condemn itself to a sterile state of knowing more and more about less and less; if it chooses the path of growth, it must eventually enter the phase of a synthesizing, generalizing and integrative sociology.” Pitirim Sorokin predicted the transition of sociology into a new period of great synthesis, when various theories, each containing its own share of truth, will be increasingly integrated into the synthesized theories of the coming sociology. A similar focus on integral knowledge was also characteristic of his interpretation of law. He sought to provide a generalization of historical, sociocultural and methodological information about the phenomenon of law within the framework of a generalized "synthetic" theory of law.

Politics

The political interests of Pitirim Sorokin concentrated mainly on the problems of the legitimacy of power, the prospects for representative democracy in Russia, and the connection of the national question with the democratic structure of the country.

In 1947, Sorokin came up with a program to "save mankind" on the basis of "altruistic love and behavior." In addition, he, together with N. S. Timashev, became one of the authors of a peculiar concept of the convergence of Russia and the United States during the Second World War. Based on the cyclic patterns of social revolutions (of which A. Tocqueville and I. Taine spoke in particular), Sorokin suggested that after the decline of communism, a period of growth of a new, viable Russia would come. Modern era The crisis, Sorokin believed, would end with the creation of a new ideational culture, and the center of cultural leadership at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries would move to Russia. Finding a way out of the crisis will help spread the ideas of altruistic love around the world, the study and promotion of which the scientist devoted last years own life.

Developing his early ideas about social solidarity and the ethics of love, Sorokin launched a program to save humanity on the basis of altruistic love and behavior and founded the Center for the Study of Creative Altruism at Harvard.

Pitirim Sorokin was a member of the intellectual elite of American society, while in many ways american values the scientist did not accept.

Pitirim Sorokin's lectures at Harvard were listened to by the children of President Roosevelt, as well as the future President John F. Kennedy, with whom Pitirim Sorokin subsequently corresponded.

Organizations studying the creative heritage of Pitirim Sorokin

Regional Educational and Scientific Center named after Pitirim Sorokin

Regional educational and scientific center named after Pitirim Sorokin (Syktyvkar) was established on February 25, 2009 by the decision of the Academic Council of Syktyvkar State University. He was engaged in the study of the creative heritage of Pitirim Sorokin, placed in the collections of Canada (Saskatchewan University), the USA and Europe. The main project of the Center is the publication of the book "Pitirim Sorokin: Selected Correspondence". Closed by decision of the academic council of the university on October 27, 2010.

State budgetary institution of the Republic of Komi "Heritage Center named after Pitirim Sorokin"

By the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Komi dated November 12, 2010, the State state-financed organization Republic of Komi "Heritage Center named after Pitirim Sorokin". The main task of the Center is to study and popularize the heritage of P. A. Sorokin and others in the republic eminent figures Komi science and culture. The center was headed by Dr. historical sciences E. A. Savelyeva.

Pitirim Sorokin Foundation

In April 2011, the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation was established in Winchester (Massachusetts, USA). The Foundation was created by the son of Pitirim Sorokin Sergey and is a non-profit organization. Among the main tasks of the Foundation:

• preservation and protection of international copyrights of the heritage of Pitirim Sorokin;
• popularization of scientific creativity of Pitirim Sorokin;
• assistance in scientific research in various areas sociology;
• assistance in charitable, scientific and educational activities as part of the popularization of the work of Pitirim Sorokin

Sergei Pitirimovich Sorokin and Richard Francis Hoyt form the Fund's Board of Directors. The executive director of the Fund is Pavel Petrovich Krotov.

Bibliography

The main editions of the works of P. Sorokin

• Crime and its causes / P. A. Sorokin. - Riga: Science and Life, . - 46 p. - (Miniature Library "Science and Life"; No. 22).
• Crime and punishment, feat and reward: Sociol. study of the basic forms of societies. behavior and morality / P. A. Sorokin; With preface prof. M. M. Kovalevsky. - St. Petersburg: Ya. G. Dolbyshev, 1914. - L, 3-456 p.
  • Crime and punishment, feat and reward: Sociol. study of the basic forms of societies. behavior and morality: On the 110th anniversary of the birth / Pitirim Sorokin; Prep. V.V. Sapov. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house Rus. Christian. humanitarian. in-ta, 1999. - 446, p. (Series "Russian Sociology of the 20th Century" / Russian Christian Humanitarian Institute). ISBN 5-88812-055-3
• system of sociology. T.1-2. - Pg., 1920.
  • System of sociology / Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin. - M.: Astrel, 2008. - 1003 p., L. portrait; 22 see - (Social Thought of Russia). ISBN 978-5-271-14765-4
• Social and cultural dynamics: Issled. rev. in the great systems of art, truth, ethics, law and societies. relations = Social & Cultural dynamics: A Study of Change in Major Systems of Art, Truth, Ethics, law and Social Relationships / Pitirim Sorokin; Per. from English. V. V. Sapova. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House Rus. Christian. humanitarian. In-ta, 2000. - 1054 p. - (Sociology: University. Library / Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, International Institute of N. Kondratiev - P. Sorokina). ISBN 5-88812-117-7 ( Main labor Sorokin in four volumes in 1937-1941 Gained fame as a classic work in the field of sociology and cultural studies)
• Sociology of revolution / Pitirim Sorokin. - M.: Territory of the future: ROSSPEN, 2005 (PPP Type. Science). - 702, p. - (Series: Sociology. Political Science). ISBN 5-8243-0617-6
• Social mobility / Pitirim Sorokin; [per. from English. M. V. Sokolova]. - M.: Academia: LVS, 2005. - XX, 588 p. ISBN 5-87444-221-9
• Elementary textbook of the general theory of law in connection with the doctrine of the state / Pitirim Sorokin; St. Petersburg State. un-t, Fak. sociology. - St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg University, 2009. - 238, p. ISBN 978-5-288-04830-2
• Sociological theories of modernity: Specialist. inform. according to general academic prog. “Man, science, society: a complex. research." / Sorokin P. A.; [Trans. and foreword. S. V. Karpushina]; Academy of Sciences of the USSR, INION, All-Union. interdepartmental Center for Human Sciences under the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - M.: INION, 1992. - 193, p.
• Sorokin P. A. Hunger as a factor. The impact of hunger on people's behavior, social organization, and community life. - M. : Academia & LVS, 2003. - XII, 678, p. - ISBN 5-87444-186-7.
• Man. Civilization. Society / Pitirim Sorokin; [gen. ed., comp. and foreword, p. 5-24, A. Yu. Sogomonova]. - M.: Politizdat, 1992. - 542, p. - (Thinkers of the XX century. Ed.: T. I. Oizerman (prev.), etc.). ISBN 5-250-01297-3
• The crisis of our time: a social and cultural review = The crisis of our age/ Pitirim Sorokin. - M.: ISPI RAN, 2009. - 384, p. ISBN 978-5-7556-0409-3
• Long journey: Autobiography / Pitirim Sorokin; [Trans. from English, general ed., comp., foreword. and note. A. V. Lipsky]. - M.: Ed. Center "Terra": Moscow. worker, 1992. - 302, p. ISBN 5-239-01378-0
• Man and society in disaster conditions: (Influence of war, revolution, famine, epidemic on intelligence and behavior person social organization and cultural life) / Per. From English, intro. Art. and note. V. V. Sapova. - St. Petersburg: Ed. house "Mir", 2012 ISBN 978-5-98846-093-0

see also

Notes

1. identifier BNF
2. ID BNF : Open Data Platform - 2011.
3. Sorokin Pitirim Alexandrovich // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ed. A. M. Prokhorov - 3rd ed. - M.:

Pitirim Sorokin (1889-1968) created a sociological theory, which was called "integral". It viewed society as a socio-cultural system. He singled out four sections in sociology: the doctrine of society, social mechanics (the definition of the statistical laws of society), social genetics (the origin and development of society), and social policy (a private sociological science).

An element of society is the interaction of individuals. It is divided into template and non-template, one-sided and two-sided, antagonistic and non-antagonistic. Society is the process and result of social interaction (the interaction of many individuals). Its result is their adaptation to the environment. In the process of such adaptation, the social order of society arises, the main trend in the development of which is social equality.

The development of human society occurs through evolution and revolution. Social evolution is a gradual and progressive development based on knowledge of society, reforms, people's cooperation, striving for social equality. A social revolution is a rapid, profound progressive or regressive development of society based on the violence of one class over another. It changes the nature of social equality.

Based on the experience of personal participation in two Russian revolutions of 1917, P. Sorokin highlights their main causes: the suppression of the basic needs of the majority of the population by the existing social system, the inefficiency of this social system, the weakness of the forces for protecting public law and order. The social revolution goes through the stages of a revolutionary explosion, when basic needs find a way out and destroy the country, and counter-revolutions, when these needs are curbed.

Pitirim Sorokin developed the theory of social stratification, the division of society into many social strata (strata) depending on wealth, power, education, etc.

He also has priority in the discovery of the theory of social mobility, movement from one social stratum to another.

Sorokin also owns the theory of civilizational stages of human development as spiritual and cultural formations. Civilization according to P. Sorokin is a historical community of people united by some type of worldview (ideals, values, methods of cognition). The development of mankind demonstrates three phases of such civilizational development, in which the civilizational and ideological basis of the unification of people changes. An ideational civilization is based on one or another type of religious worldview and dominates during the Middle Ages. Its ideal is the desire to save the human soul. A sensitive civilization arises on the basis of a materialistic worldview and is a negation of an ideational civilization. Her ideal is wealth and comfort. It is characteristic of the industrial stage of human development. An idealistic civilization arises on the basis of the convergence of the religious and materialistic worldview, taking everything positive from its components. It is characteristic of the last stage of industrialism.