SOC SOCIAL IAL & CULTURAL DYNAMICS DYNAMICS
A Study of Change in Major
Systems of Art, Truth, Ethics, Lau) and Social Relationships
Revised and abridged in one volume by the author
PITIRIM SOROKIN
extending horizons horizons books books —
Porter Sar ge nt Publisher Publisher — Bos Bosto ton n
Copyright © 1957 by b y Pitirim A . Soro So rokin kin Second Printing, November 1970 Library o f Congress Congress Catalog Number 57-14120 ISBN 0-87558-029-7
FOREWORD
Some twenty years have passed since the original publication of So S o c ia l and an d C u ltu lt u ra l D y n a m ics ic s in four volum es.
D urin g this period,
numerous popularizations of the work have appeared in the form of articles, doctoral theses, chapters in texts on sociological theories, and bo b o o k s lik li k e m y o w n Crisis of Our Age Age (so far translated into eight lan guages), F. R. Cowell’s His H isto to ry, ry , C iv iliz il iza a tio ti o n and an d C ultu ul ture re : A n In tr o duction duction to to the the Historical and and Social Philosop hy of P . A . S orokin, W in s to n C . P . F a n ’s Intr In trod od uc tion ti on to P . A . S o r o k in 's T heor he or ies ie s (in Chinese), Jacques J. M aq ue t’s So cio ci o log lo g ie de la C on na issa is sa nc e (The Soci So ciol olog og y o f Know Kn ow led ge ge in American edition), Johanne Gjermoe’s P . A . S o r o k in ’s S o c ia l and an d H isto is to rica ri ca l P h ilo il o so p h y (in Norwegian), among others. others. H ow ever adm irable irable these these popu larizati larizations, ons, the y in no w a y su ffic ff icee a s an a u t h e n ti c a b r id g e d v e r s io n o f th e Dy D y n a m ic s. s. None of these works reproduces verbatim the text, the order of chapters o f D y n a m ic s ; neither do they outline all of the important theories developed in it. During these twenty years I have been urged by several scholars and readers to prepare a one-volume one-volume ab ridgemen t of this wo rk which, b y c u t ti n g o u t a ll th e s e c o n d a r y p a r a g r a p h s , p a g e s a n d c h a p te r s o f the original text, would reproduce verbatim all its important parts in exactly the same order and phrasing in which they were originally given in in the four volumes. In the friend friend ly opinion opinion of these these schol schol ars and readers such an abridgement would make the D y n a m ic s accessible to a large circle of scholars and intelligent readers who w o u ld o th e r w is e h a v e n e ith it h e r th e tim ti m e to s tu d y n o r th e m ea n s to purchase the b ulk y four-volume four-volume edition. edition.
W hen Ext E xt en din di n g H oriz or izon on s
Boo B oo ks ks of Boston in February, 1957, and the In stit st itu u to de E stud st ud io s Po P o liti li ticc o s of Madrid offered to bring out such an edition respectively in English and Spanish, I accepted and this one-volume edition upon w h ic h I im m e d ia te ly se t t o w o r k , is th e r e s u lt o f m y a b r id g e m e n t. The condensation of Dy D y n a m ics ic s to one-fourth of its original size is effected by cutting out: (1) all the paragraphs and pages of secondary importance; (2) practically all the numerous foot-notes; (3) refer ences and extensive bib liogr aph y ; (4) all the appe ndixes and th e sources on which the statistical tables and their respective conclusions
FOREWORD
are based ; and, finally, (5) the first eleven chapters of the fourth vo v o lu m e . O f th es e o m it te d p a r ts , th e n u m b e r s : 2, 3, 4, 4, 5 are cut out not because they are unimportant, but for the reason that they are not urgently necessary for comprehension of the basic conceptual framework of the Dy D y n a m ics ic s , and because they can easily be found by an y prob ing researcher in the unabridged edition of the work.
So
much for explanation of what is omitted and reproduced in this abridged edition. Now a few words about what is added to, and changed from the original original text of the work.
Besides a basic basic bibliography, a few few short
paragraphs are added to bring the development of main trends and fluctuations fluctuations up to date.
W hile the qu an titative evidence and quali
tative analysis of D y n a m ic s (published in 1937-41) does not go be yo y o n d th e y e a r s 1 9 2 5 -3 0 , a d d e d p a r a g r a p h s o u tl in e b r ie fl y w h a t, if any, important changes have occurred during this recent period, also w h ic h o f th e o ld tr e n d s h a v e c o n tin ti n u e d , a n d w h e th e r s e v e r a l fo r e c a s t ings of the D y n a m ics ic s hav e come to pass.
In this this w ay , the analysis of
the Western sociocultural world is brought up to date. A s to th e c h a n g e s in th e o rig ri g in a l t e x t o f th e w o r k , p r a c ti c a l ly no change is is m ade because none is needed.
Since the original pub lication
historical events have been unfolding according to its diagnosis and prognosis, and its main forecastings have been coming to pass during the last tw en ty years.
Th ere is no need need for for correct correction ion of an y of its its
significant propositions, since up to this moment, the historical processes have been proceeding as outlined. In accordance with these prognoses, three basic processes of the last few decades ha ve consisted in : (a) (a) an epochal shift of the the creative center of mankind from Europe to the larger area of the Pacific A t la n t i c ; (b) (b ) in a p r o g r e s s iv e d is in te g r a tio ti o n o f S e n s a te c u ltu lt u r e , society, and m a n ; and (c) (c) in an emergence and slow slow growth of the first first seedlings seedlings of the new — Idealistic Idealistic
or Ideational — sociocul sociocul
tural order. W e a ll k n o w t h a t u p to r o u g h ly th e fo u rt e e n th c e n t u r y th e c r e a ti v e leadership of mankind was carried on by the peoples and nations of A s ia a n d A fr ic a .
W h ile il e o ur fo r e fa th e r s in th e W e s t h a d s ti ll a m o s t
prim itive itive w ay o f life life and culture, in Africa and A sia the great civiliza tions — the Egyp tian, the Bab ylonic, the Iranic, Iranic, the Summerian, Summerian, the Hittite, the Hindu, the Chinese, the Mediterranean (the CretoM y c e n ae a e a n , th t h e G r a ec ec o -R -R o m a n , t he h e A r ab a b i c) c) a n d o t h e r s — e m er er ge ge d, d,
FOREWORD
grew, and fluctuated in their repeated blossoming and decay for millenni millennia. a.
T he W estern, Euro-Am erican, peoples were the latest
in taking the creative leadershi leadership p of m ankind.
T h ey hav e carri carried ed
this torch torch only during the the last five five or six centuries. centuries.
D urin g this this
short period they discharged their creative mission brilliantly, especi ally in the fields of science, technology, Sensate fine arts, politics, and economic economics. s.
A t the the present time, time, however, the Europ ean mon op
olistic olistic leadership can be considered considered as abo ut ended. ended.
T he unfolding of
the history of mankind is already being staged on the much larger scenery of Asiatic-African-American-European cosmopolitan theater. A n d th e s ta rs o f th e n e x t a c ts o f th e g r e a t h is to ri c a l d r a m a a re g o in g to b e : besides besides Europe, the Am ericas, Russia, an d renascent renascent great cultures of India, China , Japan , Indonesia, and Islam Islam ic world.
Th is
epochal shift is already under way and is rapidly moving from day to day.
It has manifested manifested itself itself in the dissol dissoluti ution on of the great Euro
pean empires like the British and the French, in the decreasing politi cal and cultural influence of Europe in the international relationships, in the shift of creativ ity from several Europea n nations nations to other conti nents : the Ang lo-Saxon to the the U nited S tates, C anad a, and A u str alia ; the Spanish Spanish and Portuguese to the La tin A m er ica ; in the creative creative growth of the Asiatic Russia in comparison with its European part, and so on. A still stronger m anifestation of this shift is the unquestion able renaissanc renaissancee of the g reat cultures cultures o f As ia and A fr ic a : the Indian, Indian, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indonesian, the Arabic, and others. This renaissance lies at the basis of a successful liberation of these nations from C olonial servitude. servitude. It has shown itself itself in a rapid growth of their political and social independence, and of their influence in international affairs ; in their rapid scientific and technological devel opment, in the successful diffusion of their religious, philosophical, ethical, artistic and cultural values in the Western world; as also many other phenomena mark the shift of the creative leadership of mankind from the monopolistic domination of Europe to the Ameri cas, A sia, and Africa.
Such is the first first basic sociocultural process of
the last few decades. Th e other two proc esses: a continued continued deca y of Sensate sociocultural sociocultural system system of the West and an emerge emergence nce and growth of a ne w — Idealis Idealis tic or Idea tiona l— sociocultural sociocultural order order are are possibly still still more imp imp or tan t for for the the present and the the future of man kind.
B oth these tren trends ds
increasingly manifest themselves in all compartments of Western
FOREWORD
culture and society: in the dynamic changes in science, philosophy, religion, fine arts, ethics, law, politics, and economics, in remodeling of our social institutions, in revaluation of our system of values, and in the transformation transformation of our m entality and overt behavior.
Our
w h o le so cia ci a l, c u lt u r a l, a n d p e rs o n a l w a y o f life li fe is in th e s ta te o f a tragic and epochal transition from the dying Sensate culture of our magnificent yesterday to the coming new culture of the creative tomorrow.
W e are are living, living, thinking, and acting acting at the darkest hour hour
of this transitory night with its nightmares, gigantic destruction, and heartrending heartrending horr horrors ors..
If mankind can avoid the irretrievable irretrievable catas
trophe of greater world wars, the dawn of a new magnificent order in the human universe is waiting to greet the coming generations. P i t i r i m A . S o r o k i n , Harvard University, 1957
For those who wish to refer to the original four vo lum lu m e ed ition iti on , the th e fol f ollo low w ing in g conc co nc orda or da nc e : P
u b l is h e r
’s N
o t e
:
Vol V ol.. I , pp . 1-22 1- 22 4 °J the present edition II, pp. 226-434 III, pp. 436-628 IV, pp. 630-704
TABLE OF CONTENTS
P a r t On e : I n t r o d u c t o r y
1. Forms and Problems of Culture Integration and Methods of T h eir S tu d y . . . 2 2. Ideational, Sensate, Idealistic, and Mixed Systems of Cul ture . . . 20 3. Concrete Illustrations of the Chief Types of Culture Men ta lity . . . 40 4. Sociocultural Fluctuations: Concept and Forms of Sociocul tural tural Proces Processs • • • S3 Pa
r t
Tw o: F
l u c t u a t io n
an d
Se
n s a t e
o f
Id
e a t i o n a l
Forms
o p
A r
, Id
e a l is t i c
,
t
5. Is There Any Uniform Sequence in the Flourishing of Various Art A rtss in the th e H isto is to ry of a G iven iv en Cu ltu re ? P re lim li m ina in a ry C ritic ri tic al S ur ur ve ve y o f T he he or or ie s on th e S ub ub je je ct ct . . . 68 6. Is the Curve of Art Developm ent U niformly Similar in Various Societies Societies and Cultures? Preliminary Critical Sur vey of Th eo r ie s on t h e S u b j e c t . . . 73 7. Idealistic, Sensate, and Mixed Styles in Art: Painting and S c u l p tu r e . . . 78 8. Recurrence in Social Space and Fluctuation in Time of the Ideational, Visual, and Mixed styles in Painting and Sculpture ( Q ua ua l i t a t i v e O u t l in e ) . . . 101 9. Fluctuation of the Main Styles in the Painting and Sculpture of W estern Euro pe . . . 118 10. Fluctuation of Ideational and Visual Forms of Arch itecture 148 11. Fluctuation o f Ideational, Sensate, and M ixed Forms of Music . . . 160 12. Fluctuation of Ideational and Sensate Forms of Literature and Critic ism . . . 187 Pa
r t
Th
r e e
: Fl
u c t u a t io n
an d
Se
n s a t e
o f
S y s t
Id
e a t i o n a l
e m s o f
T
, Id
r u t h
e a l is t ic an d
K n
o w l e d g e
13. Fluctuation of Ideational, Idealistic and Sensate Systems of T ru th and Kn ow ledg e (Qua ntitative) . . . 226 14. Qualitative Clarification of the Fluctuation of the Systems of T ru th and Kn ow ledg e . . . 257 15. Fluctuation of “ First Principles” : I. Idealism and M ateri alism . . . 284
