Gregor Fitzi | European University Viadrina (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Gregor Fitzi

Gregor Fitzi & Bryan S. Turner (Hrsg. v.). Max Weber’s Politics as a Profession. Spe-cial Issue of the Journal of Classical Sociology, 4/2019., 2019

In a critical approach to Mommsen's classical thesis, which states the dependence of Weber's soci... more In a critical approach to Mommsen's classical thesis, which states the dependence of Weber's sociology on his political position, the article reconstructs the foundation of Weber's 'The Profession and Vocation of Politics' on his sociological analyses of the political domain in the manuscripts for the posthumous publication of Economy and Society. The first two pages of his 1919 lecture particularly show that Weber can fall back on the definitions of State and politics that he had already developed for his political sociology. Yet, to appreciate the full extent of this theoretical contribution, it is necessary to present Weber's entire ideal-typical analysis of the political. The article then shows that Weber provides an unlabelled definition of 'modern politics' that negates ante litteram Carl Schmitt's foundation of politics on the idea of enmity. In this context, Weber's sound plea for parliamentarism and against the fascination of civil war comes to the fore that he wanted to deliver to his audience of young revolutionaries in January 1919. Keywords Carl Schmitt, civil war, concept of the political, Max Weber, monopoly of legitimate use of force, parliamentarism, political sociology, revolution, violence

(2019). Gregor Fitzi, Jürgen Mackert and Bryan S. Turner (Hrsg. v.): Populism and the Crisis of Democracy. 3. Vols.: Vol. 1. Concepts and Theory. Vol. 2. Politics, Social Movements and Extremism. Vol. 3. Immigration, Gender and Religion. Abingdon-New York: Routledge, 2019

Understanding populism sociologically means improving the analytical means to address its manifol... more Understanding populism sociologically means improving the analytical means to address its manifold forms. The essay develops an ideal-typical strategy to do so

Simmel Studies New Series, 2018

The First World War (WWI) is the “seminal catastrophe” of the twentieth century (Kennan, 1989). D... more The First World War (WWI) is the “seminal catastrophe” of the twentieth century (Kennan, 1989). During WWI, the course was set for the political-ideological battles of the “short century” lasting until 1989 and the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall (Hobsbawm, 2011). The course was set, too, for the appraisal of the role of intellectuals during the war. Two main lines of conflict can be observed here. Firstly, there is a generational conflict. ...

Simmel's work has often been interpreted as a succession of disparate phases of development follo... more Simmel's work has often been interpreted as a succession of disparate phases of development following contradictory epistemological paradigms and intellectual stances, and a similar misunderstanding applies to his theory of societal differentiation. A completely different view emerges of Simmel's contribution to sociological theory if his process of theory-building is placed at the forefront of analysis along with its specific continuities. The present paper provides a synthetic study of Simmel's theory of societal differentiation by systematically reconstructing the different stages of its development. It starts with Simmel's early theory of the parallel differentiation of the social group and the personality of the social actors, thus highlighting that social differentiation can be understood only as a process that takes place both on the level of social action and social structure. The focus then shifts to Simmel's theory of culture and its relationship to the core of his sociological theory in the so-called a priori of sociation. Finally, the paper shows how Simmel's late sociological anthropology links the different contributions on social differentiation, cultural sociology and the epistemological premises of sociation in a theory of life forms producing the structuration of "qualitative differentiated societies".

Law contra sociology: The critique of the social sciences, 309 especially Durkheimian sociology, ... more Law contra sociology: The critique of the social sciences, 309 especially Durkheimian sociology, by Kelsen and Schmitt

The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between w... more The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between work – in the sense of labour – and personality. Its aim is to show that the thinking of these ‘founding fathers’ of sociology can furnish valuable insight into the current issue of the corrosion of character in contemporary post-Fordist society. The concept of work still represents one of the major factors determining modern individuals’ ability (or inability) to formulate personal, stable identities that enable them to become fully socialized. Both Simmel and Weber make reference to a common theoretical background that views the human being as a creature with originally rational potential, who is faced with the task of becoming a personality by means of consciously chosen life behaviour: This is evident in the parallelism between Simmel’s interest in the concept of ‘style of life’ (Der Stil des Lebens) and Weber’s research on the ‘life conduct’ (Lebensführung) that arose in Western rationalistic culture.

The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between w... more The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between work – in the sense of labour – and personality. Its aim is to show that the thinking of these ‘founding fathers’ of sociology can furnish valuable insight into the current issue of the corrosion of character in contemporary post-Fordist society. The concept of work still represents one of the major factors determining modern individuals’ ability (or inability) to formulate personal, stable identities that enable them to become fully socialized. Both Simmel and Weber make reference to a common theoretical background that views the human being as a creature with originally rational potential, who is faced with the task of becoming a personality by means of consciously chosen life behaviour: This is evident in the parallelism between Simmel’s interest in the concept of ‘style of life’ (Der Stil des Lebens) and Weber’s research on the ‘life conduct’ (Lebensführung) that arose in Western rationalistic culture.

Berliner Journal für Soziologie, 2015

Societa Degli Individui, 2004

Nella riflessione successiva alla sintesi hegeliana il tema della filosofia della coscienza è car... more Nella riflessione successiva alla sintesi hegeliana il tema della filosofia della coscienza è caratterizzato da una crescente problematicità, che si rial-laccia a un duplice fenomeno sociale e culturale. Da un lato la 'condizione umana' propria della modernità acquista un grado di ...

Societa Degli Individui, 2006

Internationales Jahrbuch für philosophische Anthropologie, 2008

Robotik und Gesetzgebung, 2013

Akteur – Individuum – Subjekt, 2011

In Luhmanns frühen Arbeiten, zu denen die Studie über „Grundrech te als Institution“ gehört, komm... more In Luhmanns frühen Arbeiten, zu denen die Studie über „Grundrech te als Institution“ gehört, kommt dem Mensch en, d. h. der sozialen Person, eine zentrale Rolle zu. So spricht Luhmann (1965: 192f.) davon, dass sich Mensch und System wechselseitig transzendieren. In dem Sinne steht er Simmels Gesellschaftstheorie nahe, was eine vergleich ende Betrachung mit der Theorie der sozialen Person und ihrer Rolle für das Zusammenhalten des gesellschaftlich en Beziehungsgeflechts sinnvoll macht.

Gregor Fitzi & Bryan S. Turner (Hrsg. v.). Max Weber’s Politics as a Profession. Spe-cial Issue of the Journal of Classical Sociology, 4/2019., 2019

In a critical approach to Mommsen's classical thesis, which states the dependence of Weber's soci... more In a critical approach to Mommsen's classical thesis, which states the dependence of Weber's sociology on his political position, the article reconstructs the foundation of Weber's 'The Profession and Vocation of Politics' on his sociological analyses of the political domain in the manuscripts for the posthumous publication of Economy and Society. The first two pages of his 1919 lecture particularly show that Weber can fall back on the definitions of State and politics that he had already developed for his political sociology. Yet, to appreciate the full extent of this theoretical contribution, it is necessary to present Weber's entire ideal-typical analysis of the political. The article then shows that Weber provides an unlabelled definition of 'modern politics' that negates ante litteram Carl Schmitt's foundation of politics on the idea of enmity. In this context, Weber's sound plea for parliamentarism and against the fascination of civil war comes to the fore that he wanted to deliver to his audience of young revolutionaries in January 1919. Keywords Carl Schmitt, civil war, concept of the political, Max Weber, monopoly of legitimate use of force, parliamentarism, political sociology, revolution, violence

(2019). Gregor Fitzi, Jürgen Mackert and Bryan S. Turner (Hrsg. v.): Populism and the Crisis of Democracy. 3. Vols.: Vol. 1. Concepts and Theory. Vol. 2. Politics, Social Movements and Extremism. Vol. 3. Immigration, Gender and Religion. Abingdon-New York: Routledge, 2019

Understanding populism sociologically means improving the analytical means to address its manifol... more Understanding populism sociologically means improving the analytical means to address its manifold forms. The essay develops an ideal-typical strategy to do so

Simmel Studies New Series, 2018

The First World War (WWI) is the “seminal catastrophe” of the twentieth century (Kennan, 1989). D... more The First World War (WWI) is the “seminal catastrophe” of the twentieth century (Kennan, 1989). During WWI, the course was set for the political-ideological battles of the “short century” lasting until 1989 and the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall (Hobsbawm, 2011). The course was set, too, for the appraisal of the role of intellectuals during the war. Two main lines of conflict can be observed here. Firstly, there is a generational conflict. ...

Simmel's work has often been interpreted as a succession of disparate phases of development follo... more Simmel's work has often been interpreted as a succession of disparate phases of development following contradictory epistemological paradigms and intellectual stances, and a similar misunderstanding applies to his theory of societal differentiation. A completely different view emerges of Simmel's contribution to sociological theory if his process of theory-building is placed at the forefront of analysis along with its specific continuities. The present paper provides a synthetic study of Simmel's theory of societal differentiation by systematically reconstructing the different stages of its development. It starts with Simmel's early theory of the parallel differentiation of the social group and the personality of the social actors, thus highlighting that social differentiation can be understood only as a process that takes place both on the level of social action and social structure. The focus then shifts to Simmel's theory of culture and its relationship to the core of his sociological theory in the so-called a priori of sociation. Finally, the paper shows how Simmel's late sociological anthropology links the different contributions on social differentiation, cultural sociology and the epistemological premises of sociation in a theory of life forms producing the structuration of "qualitative differentiated societies".

Law contra sociology: The critique of the social sciences, 309 especially Durkheimian sociology, ... more Law contra sociology: The critique of the social sciences, 309 especially Durkheimian sociology, by Kelsen and Schmitt

The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between w... more The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between work – in the sense of labour – and personality. Its aim is to show that the thinking of these ‘founding fathers’ of sociology can furnish valuable insight into the current issue of the corrosion of character in contemporary post-Fordist society. The concept of work still represents one of the major factors determining modern individuals’ ability (or inability) to formulate personal, stable identities that enable them to become fully socialized. Both Simmel and Weber make reference to a common theoretical background that views the human being as a creature with originally rational potential, who is faced with the task of becoming a personality by means of consciously chosen life behaviour: This is evident in the parallelism between Simmel’s interest in the concept of ‘style of life’ (Der Stil des Lebens) and Weber’s research on the ‘life conduct’ (Lebensführung) that arose in Western rationalistic culture.

The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between w... more The topic of this imaginary dialogue between Georg Simmel and Max Weber is the relation between work – in the sense of labour – and personality. Its aim is to show that the thinking of these ‘founding fathers’ of sociology can furnish valuable insight into the current issue of the corrosion of character in contemporary post-Fordist society. The concept of work still represents one of the major factors determining modern individuals’ ability (or inability) to formulate personal, stable identities that enable them to become fully socialized. Both Simmel and Weber make reference to a common theoretical background that views the human being as a creature with originally rational potential, who is faced with the task of becoming a personality by means of consciously chosen life behaviour: This is evident in the parallelism between Simmel’s interest in the concept of ‘style of life’ (Der Stil des Lebens) and Weber’s research on the ‘life conduct’ (Lebensführung) that arose in Western rationalistic culture.

Berliner Journal für Soziologie, 2015

Societa Degli Individui, 2004

Nella riflessione successiva alla sintesi hegeliana il tema della filosofia della coscienza è car... more Nella riflessione successiva alla sintesi hegeliana il tema della filosofia della coscienza è caratterizzato da una crescente problematicità, che si rial-laccia a un duplice fenomeno sociale e culturale. Da un lato la 'condizione umana' propria della modernità acquista un grado di ...

Societa Degli Individui, 2006

Internationales Jahrbuch für philosophische Anthropologie, 2008

Robotik und Gesetzgebung, 2013

Akteur – Individuum – Subjekt, 2011

In Luhmanns frühen Arbeiten, zu denen die Studie über „Grundrech te als Institution“ gehört, komm... more In Luhmanns frühen Arbeiten, zu denen die Studie über „Grundrech te als Institution“ gehört, kommt dem Mensch en, d. h. der sozialen Person, eine zentrale Rolle zu. So spricht Luhmann (1965: 192f.) davon, dass sich Mensch und System wechselseitig transzendieren. In dem Sinne steht er Simmels Gesellschaftstheorie nahe, was eine vergleich ende Betrachung mit der Theorie der sozialen Person und ihrer Rolle für das Zusammenhalten des gesellschaftlich en Beziehungsgeflechts sinnvoll macht.

Zeitpunkt, an dem sie sich durch den Entwicklungspr~ze~s ihrer autonomen Reflexion näher gekommen... more Zeitpunkt, an dem sie sich durch den Entwicklungspr~ze~s ihrer autonomen Reflexion näher gekommen waren, so dass e10 intellektueller Austausch zwischen ihnen zustande kam. 1894 eine Beschreibung der Vorlesungen Sirnmels uber die Soz1olog1e ein. Dieser Teil seines Berichtes taucht nur in der Monographie auf, wohingegen es im Bericht für die Revue de Paris vom 1. Juni 1894 einfach hieß: <uYie voici en Allemagne, pour un an,-deux semestres d'Universite.-]'y viens etudier une science qui finit, m'at-on dit: la philosophie, et une science qui commence: la sociologie. II faut que j'entende Kuno Fischer, Paulsen, \Xfagner, Simmeb>. Dass Bougie sein Buch mit einer Erläuternng der «formalen Soziologie» Simmels versah, ging auf die Forderung Simmels zurück, seinen Aufsatz über «Das Problem der Sociologie» stärker zu berücksichtigen, als er es im Aufsatz «Les sciences sociales en Allemagne: Simmeb> vom Mai 1894 getan hatte. 20 Der Unterschied zwischen den Notes für die Revue de Paris und der späteren gleichnamigen Monographie hing je" doch in erster Linie von der Absicht ihres Verfassers ab, seinen frühen Reisebericht von den Bemerkungen über die Soziologie in Deutschland säuberlich zu trennen. 21 Das Buch Notes d'un hudiant franr;ais von 1895 stellt auf jeden Fall das erste Zeugnis der französischen Rezeption vom Ansatz einer «formalen Soziologie» dar, da es wenige Monate nach Simmels Aufsatz «Le probleme de la sociologie» erschien, der im Septemberheft 1894 der Revue de mhaphisique et de morale abgedruckt wurde. 22 Im Bericht über seinen Aufenthalt in Deutschland übernahm Bougie die Rolle des Kulturvermittlers:23 er beschrieb Sitten und Moden und ging-was die deutschen Universitäten betraf-von der Beschreibung ihrer Unterrichtsmethoden aus. Bevor er die Simmelschen Vorlesungen erläuterte, trug er in seinen Notesunter dem Datum des 13. März [1894]eine methodologische Bemerkung ein: «Chaque universite devise !es sciences a sa maniere; chaque professeur les enseigne comme il veut. II doit clone definir tout d'abord la science qu'il enseigne, expri

Integrationsprozesse in komplexen Gesellschaften lassen sich nicht mehr auf der Grundlage gemeins... more Integrationsprozesse in komplexen Gesellschaften lassen sich nicht mehr auf der Grundlage gemeinsamer Wertvorstellungen vollziehen. Die vorpolitischen Ressourcen moderner Rechtstaatlichkeit stoßen an ihre Grenzen. Dennoch arten sozialpolitische Spannungen in der Regel nicht in offene Konflikte aus. Transnormative Vergesellschaftungsformen ermöglichen es, Handlungsarrangements mit begrenzter raum-zeitlicher Geltung zu etablieren. Gesellschaften entwickeln eine Spannkraft, die sie gegen die politisch unbeherrschte Dynamik von Weltwirtschaft und-gesellschaft resistent macht. Die normative Ausrichtung weiter Teile der sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorie hindert diese daran, die vorsystemische Schwelle in den Blick zu nehmen, an der die Legitimationsverfahren transnormativer Vergesellschaftung ansetzen. Gibt die Theorie die normative Lesart des soziologischen Kanons auf, die Parsons etablierte, so zeigt sich, dass klassische soziologische Forschungsprogramme wesentliche Bausteine zur Analyse transnormativer Vergesellschaftung bieten. Sie stellen die Geltungsfrage sozialer Strukturen ins Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit. Tönnies', Simmels und Webers Werke sind neu zu lesen. Viele Übermalungen sind abzutragen. Die soziologische Theoriebildung wird durch Plessners anthropologische Begründung der Notwendigkeit transnormativer Vergesellschaftung grundlegend ergänzt. In Auseinandersetzung mit der Debatte über die vorpolitischen Bedingungen moderner Rechtstaatlichkeit (Böckenförde, Habermas, Ratzinger) sowie mit

A reconstruction of Webers political Work

Torino, 26 aprile, 2018. Discussione del numero monografico RMR2 su Max Weber.