Norbert Elias
Norbert Elias was a German sociologist known for his work on the development of civilization and the concept of the civilizing process.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
-
1. The Civilizing Process
"The Civilizing Process" is a sociological treatise that explores the development of manners, changes in behavior, and the evolution of social norms from the medieval period to the early modern era in Western Europe. The book argues that the transformation in social codes, particularly around violence and the regulation of impulses, is closely linked to the formation of state power and the monopolization of physical force. Through a detailed analysis of historical documents on etiquette, the author illustrates how the increasing pressures of social structures and interdependencies require more regulated forms of behavior, leading to what is described as the "civilizing process." This process, according to the author, reflects broader socio-political changes and is integral to understanding the dynamics of state formation and individual behavior regulation in European history.
The 2154th Greatest Book of All Time
