"Cultural and Social Dynamics: Florian Znaniecki’s Legacy for the Future" -Elżbieta Hałas, The University of Warsaw
Florian Znaniecki (1882-1958) was an innovative founder of contemporary sociology, who viewed the dynamics of modernity through the prism of culture. Although Znaniecki is considered a master of sociological thought, his legacy is only partially appreciated.
Znaniecki’s theory of cultural and social systems remains important and timely today. His research program was guided by the principle of the humanistic coefficient of cultural data, i.e. the principle of taking into account the active experiences of the meanings and axiological significance of cultural data. Znaniecki focused on modernity and on what comes next, addressing the question of how reflexive these changes are. Studying civilization processes is a consistent extension of the theory of cultural and social dynamics. Znaniecki's reflections upon a future civilization , with grounding in the theory of cultural and social systems, remain his lasting intellectual legacy in the global age.
Elżbieta Hałas is Professor of Humanities and Sociology at the University of Warsaw, Poland and is a member of the Committee of Sociology, the Polish Academy of Sciences.
