Sociology in the Weimar Republic: Volume II

Stephan Moebius: Sociology in the Weimar Republic. Volume II. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. 2025. ISBN 978-3-032-03779-4

Volume 2 examines how sociology in the Weimar Republic positioned itself in response to the economic, political, social, and intellectual crises of modernity. Set against a backdrop of fragmentation, relativism, and a perceived absence of normative foundations, the book traces key debates over how sociology might provide coherence and direction. One section considers the theoretical approaches developed to challenge historicism and epistemic uncertainty. Another investigates the emergence of a sociology of intellectuals, reflecting on the role of thought leaders in a society marked by polarisation and ideological upheaval. A third section explores sociological analyses of the era’s central crises—democracy under strain, capitalism in turmoil, the ambivalence of individualisation, and the longing for community and cultural meaning. Across these responses, the volume reveals sociology’s self-understanding as a science of orientation and societal reflection — an ambition that remains as urgent today as it was in the Weimar era.

Link zu Springer: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-03780-0