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Civilization Theory and Structural-genetic Theory Programme

Two Fundamental Theories in Comparison

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Abstract

The Civilization theory of N. Elias combines the scrutiny of psychogenetic and sociogenetic developments shaping history from ancient to modern times. Both forms of developments are seen by him as deeply interconnected to each other, being to each other cause and consequence alike. Medieval respectively premodern societies harbor people staying more close to childlike levels, while modern societies force humans to attain more elaborated psychological stages. Otherwise modern societies couldn´t function. It is shown that Elias has problems to evidence his psychogenetic assumptions. Civilization theory can be improved by the application of learned developmental psychology, by using theories and data coming from Piagetian cross-cultural psychology. It is not only possible to improve the insights into psychogenetic data hereby but also to illuminate much better central phenomena of modern society. Piagetian data enable to refer crucial phenomena of modern society – sciences, industrial economy, democracy, constitutional state, humanitarian revolution, traits of the fine arts – to psychogenetic advancements much better than Elias had done.

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  1. Department Sociology, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Georg W. Oesterdiekhoff

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Oesterdiekhoff, G.W. Civilization Theory and Structural-genetic Theory Programme. Integr. psych. behav. 57, 1–19 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-022-09718-z

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