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Biological and Anthropological Foundations of Arnold Gehlen's Political Theory

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Horonziak S.

Teoria Polityki

2021

vol. 5

161-172

The problem of the body-soul separation has long been the subject of both philosophy and science. There is no doubt that man is a biological being. What is not certain is how human biology influences our actions and decision processes. Does it constitute humanity or is it just an excess. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Arnold Gehlen, who laid the foundations of the institutional theory, stated that man is a being marked by a deficiency. This statement was derived precisely from man’s biological deficiencies. At the same time, those influenced the human’s ability to create complex institutional systems. From the biological foundations of the analysis of man as a psychophysical being, Gehlen derived the need to establish a system of rules and norms that helps us to survive. This article will primarily discuss the biological foundations of Gehlen's theory. It will show how this 20th century anthropologist moved from researching the biological aspects of individuals to the cultural challenges faced by modern humans.

“Social Embeddedness” Viewed from an Institutional Perspective Revision of a Core Principle of New Economic Sociology with Special Regard to Max Weber

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Maurer A.

Polish Sociological Review

2013

vol. 180

issue 4

475-496

Starting by the very fact that Mark Granovetter’s notion of “social embeddedness” became very successful by establishing new economic sociology in the 1980s yet it is argued that current economic sociology needs to work on a stronger connection to institutional arguments. It is shown that this can be based on new theoretical developments by linking micro and macro level. This article reconstructs Granovetter’s attempt of working within an action-based framework that has strong ties to the work of MaxWeber as well as to some parts of new institutionalism. The particularity of Granovetter’s approach is seen in his assumption that individuals’ interests as well as their economic actions are socially embedded in “networks of social interactions” that influence the economic outcome. With regard to Max Weber and new institutionalism, it is then argued that Mark Granovetter omits to carefully consider both firstly how mutual expectations defined within social relations are affected by more general social expectations (the institutional framework) and secondly what kind of coordination problems are precisely solved by social relations through information or expectation. But this would be important for a more complex and more realistic picture of economy. Therefore, it is recommended to analyze the interplay of different social mechanisms-social capital, trust, legitimacy, hierarchy, social entrepreneurs-that work either through information in a network, group norms or generalized expectations in an wider institutional framework. In conclusion, a methodological suggestion is made by combining historical-empirical work with theoretical arguments.

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1 Maurer A.

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Biological and Anthropological Foundations of Arnold Gehlen's Political Theory

“Social Embeddedness” Viewed from an Institutional Perspective Revision of a Core Principle of New Economic Sociology with Special Regard to Max Weber