Elzbieta Halas

This book reintroduces the work of Florian Znaniecki (1882–1958) as an innovative constructor of modern sociology who viewed the processes of modernity through the prism of culture and rediscovers his relational thought on the emergence and transformation of cultural and social systems.Exploring the contribution of Znaniecki’s philosophy of culturalism to the cultural approach in sociology, it shows the importance of Znaniecki’s work for the foundation of sociology as one of the cultural sciences. Through an examination of his work on the world society from a cultural perspective, the author reveals Znaniecki to have been a pioneer of global sociology and shows that sociology has much to gain from a fuller appreciation of his legacy in its understanding of processes of social and cultural change.Aimed at students and researchers of sociology, Reintroducing Florian Znaniecki will appeal to those with interests in the dynamics of culture, the cultural sciences, theoretical sociology, and sociological methods. It presents stimulating analytical concepts and offers inspiration for research in many areas, including knowledge, science, education, creative leadership, the emergence of modern nations and world society.

This book reintroduces the work of Florian Znaniecki (1882–1958) as an innovative constructor of modern sociology who viewed the processes of modernity through the prism of culture and rediscovers his relational thought on the emergence and transformation of cultural and social systems.Exploring the contribution of Znaniecki’s philosophy of culturalism to the cultural approach in sociology, it shows the importance of Znaniecki’s work for the foundation of sociology as one of the cultural sciences. Through an examination of his work on the world society from a cultural perspective, the author reveals Znaniecki to have been a pioneer of global sociology and shows that sociology has much to gain from a fuller appreciation of his legacy in its understanding of processes of social and cultural change.Aimed at students and researchers of sociology, Reintroducing Florian Znaniecki will appeal to those with interests in the dynamics of culture, the cultural sciences, theoretical sociology, and sociological methods. It presents stimulating analytical concepts and offers inspiration for research in many areas, including knowledge, science, education, creative leadership, the emergence of modern nations and world society.

If the new cultural sociology is to gain firm grounds, it should rediscover the classic studies on cultural dynamics and cultural systems. This book contributes to a better understanding of Florian Znaniecki as an eminent culturologist and the lasting relevance of his theory of cultural becoming. Znaniecki opted for a humanistic approach that he called culturalism. Culturalism, founded on the principle of the humanistic coefficient, is applied also to the cultural person. The concept of social values makes this cultural approach an original one. The cultural logic and cultural ethos of Znaniecki’s thought is inherent in the very principle of a creative evolution of culture, augmenting his vision of a new civilization of the future and a world culture society.