Nobert Elias (1897-1990) is among the great sociologists of the twentieth century. Born in Germany, Elias earned a doctorate in philosophy and then turned to sociology, working with Max Weber's younger brother, Alfred Weber, and with Karl Mannheim. He later fled the Nazi regime in 1935 and spent most of his life in Britain. He is best known for his book, The Civilizing Process, wherein he traces the subtle changes in manners among the European upper classes since the Middle Ages, and shows how those seemingly innocuous changes in etiquette reflected profound transformations of power...

Norbert Elias (1897-1990) is now recognised as one of the most profound sociological thinkers of the twentieth century, but he gained international recognition only towards the end of his very long life.

This text explores four major features of human society in their ecological and historical context: the origins of priests and organised religion; the rise of military men in an agrarian society; economic expansion and growth; and civilising and decivilising trends over time.

This text explores four major features of human society in their ecological and historical context: the origins of priests and organised religion; the rise of military men in an agrarian society; economic expansion and growth; and civilising and decivilising trends over time.

Fur Johan Goudsblom brachte die Entdeckung des Feuers und seiner Kontrolle in der Vorgeschichte eine radikale Umstellung der menschlichen Kultur. Dieser ersten grundlegenden okologischen Wende folgten mit dem Ackerbau und der industriellen Revolution weitere Entwicklungsphasen im Umgang mit Feuer und deshalb mit der materiellen Umwelt und der ganzen Gesellschaft. Bis in unsere Tage ist die Kontrolle des Feuers ein integraler Bestandteil der Gesellschaften, die Menschen miteinander bilden. Die erste Auflage erschien 1995 beim Suhrkamp Verlag.

"