This book is Elias's famous work. After its publication, it caused a sensation in the Western world and became a bestseller. People usually regard civilization as a ready-made wealth, but the author believes that civilization is a process, the result of gradual evolution over hundreds of years, and the result of the gradual accumulation of psychological norms. Moreover, the author overturned the dichotomy of traditional sociology that regards people and society as two independent entities, and proposed that the two are inseparable. It is the interaction between the macro society and the micro people that forms the process of civilization. In short, this book provides a new historical research method: not only studying social economy, but also examining the changes in people's emotional temperament and thinking mode; not only paying attention to major events, but also starting from small things, exploring people's behavior and daily life, and seeing the big from the small. It is an encyclopedic humanities classic that melts history, political science, psychology, economics, ethnology, anthropology and sociology into one.
About the Author · · · · · ·
Norbert Elias (1897-1990) was a famous German sociologist in the 20th century. He is known as the encyclopedic figure of the 20th century and the sociologist of the 21st century.
Table of contents · · · · · ·
Preface to the Chinese Edition Chapter 1 The Social Origins of the Concepts of “Civilization” and “Culture” Part 1 The Social Origins of the Opposition between the Concepts of “Civilization” and “Culture” in Germany Introduction The Development of the Two Opposing Concepts of “Civilization” and “Culture” Several Examples of German Court Concepts Literary Examples of the German Middle Class and the Court Nobility Explaining the Relationship between the German Middle Class Intellectuals and the Court Nobility The Easing of Social Contradictions and the Intensification of National Contradictions in the Opposition between “Culture” and “Civilization” Part 2 The Social Origins of the Concept of “Civilization” in France The Social Origins of the Concept of “Civilization” in French The Social Origins of Physiocratism and the French Reform Movement Chapter 2 “Civilization” The history of the concept of "civility" The social etiquette of the Middle Ages The changes in human behavior during the Renaissance About dining behavior First example Second Some thoughts on the customs and habits of the quotations First category An overview of the societies to which the above quotations belong An explanation of the rise and fall of the concepts of "court etiquette" (courtoisie) and "civility" (civilite) An overview of the development of dining "civilization" The formation of courtly speech patterns The reasons people use to explain this is "bad", that is "good", "better" behavior Second category About eating meat About the use of knives at table On the use of forks at table. On the change in the view of natural needs. Example 1. Second. General comments on these examples and on the change in this area. On blowing your nose. Example 1. Second. Some thoughts on the quotations about blowing your nose. On spitting. Example 1. Second. Some thoughts on the quotations about spitting. On behavior in the bedroom. Example 1. Second. Some thoughts on the examples. On the change in the view of male-female relations. On the change in the desire for aggression. An overview of the life of the knight. Chapter 3. The social development of Western civilization. An overview of court society. Sociogenesis of despotism. A brief discussion on the mechanism of social development in the Middle Ages. Part I. The mechanism of feudalization. Introduction. Cohesive and dispersed forces in medieval ruling institutions. People after the great migration of nations. Population growth Crusades Sociological observations Expansion within society: the formation of new institutions and new tools Some new factors in medieval society Comparison with ancient Greek and Roman society Sociological development of feudalism Sociological development of court lyric poetry and court etiquette Part II Sociological development of the state The rise of the monarchy The first stage: competition and the formation of monopolies within the territory Appendix on several different aspects of the development of England, France and Germany On the mechanism of monopoly (or monopoly) Early competition within the kingdom Re-strengthening of centrifugal forces: the competition circle of princes The final free competition and the final monopoly of the winner The distribution of weights within the ruling unit. The significance of this distribution for the central power. The formation of the "king mechanism" Tax monopoly Sociological summary Outline of civilization Social coercion leads to self-coercion The long-term expansion of coercion and the expansion of self-coercion The contrast is shrinking and the types are expanding The courtization of warriors The suppression of instincts Psychologicalization and rationalization (rationalization)
Shame and embarrassment The upper class is more closely connected, and the lower class rises more. Overview Postscript Elias and his "The Progress of Civilization" Yuan Zhiying's annotations Preface Annotations Introduction Annotations Chapter 1 Annotations Chapter 2 Annotations Chapter 3 Annotations List of names List of places List of books