Tönnies: Community and Society

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary basis for order in the first case?

Political legislation

Consensus of wills (correct)

Contractual sociableness

Public opinion

What is the primary source of order in the second case?

Folkways and mores

Public opinion (correct)

Family spirit

Religious beliefs

What is the role of religion in the first case?

It reinforces the consensus of wills (correct)

It is irrelevant

It is the sole source of order

It is opposed to the consensus of wills

What is the nature of the law in the first case?

It is a system of enforced norms (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary basis for order in the second case?

Public opinion (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the first and second case?

They are contrasting models of order (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of law in the second case?

It is a tool to implement public opinion (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best describes the distinction between the first and second cases?

The first case is more traditional, while the second case is more modern (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of relationship does the text primarily focus on?

Relationships based on economic control (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor that shapes the social control exercised by a group?

The group's economic power and control (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main argument made about the relationship between closed groups and the will of the people?

Closed groups are only powerful when they align with the will of the people (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest about the nature of peaceful relations between community members?

Peaceful relations are a fragile facade concealing underlying hostility and fear (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary method used by merchants to gain economic control, according to the text?

Harnessing the labor force of the nation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the highest form of economic control that the text identifies?

Planned capitalist production (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main implication of the text's focus on economic control?

Economic factors are more important than political factors in shaping society (D) Signup and view all the answers

What kind of relationship does the text imply exists between merchants and the people?

A relationship of power and control where the merchants dominate the people (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between Gesellschaft and community life, according to the passage?

Gesellschaft is in conflict with and opposes community life. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the contract in the passage?

It symbolizes the shift from community life to Gesellschaft, becoming the basis of the legal system. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the author describe the change in law with the rise of Gesellschaft?

The law becomes more flexible and adaptable to new social conditions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main forces that shape the legal system in Gesellschaft, according to the passage?

Rational will and authoritative will (D) Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion can be drawn from the passage regarding the relationship between Gesellschaft and the state?

The state is a tool used by Gesellschaft to achieve its goals. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What has science replaced in terms of supremacy according to the content?

Religion (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is said to be the nature of religion in relation to human experience?

Moral and immediate (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the structure of Gesellschaft vary with its general conditions within a nation or group?

It starts resembling a large city (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which social strata are described as being truly active and alive in a Gesellschaft environment like a city?

The upper strata, rich and cultured (A) Signup and view all the answers

What link does religion create according to the content?

A physical-spiritual link (C) Signup and view all the answers

How do lower classes interact with the standards set by the upper strata?

They adapt to gain social power (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the text imply about the nature of consciousness in relation to learning and culture?

It is a product of learning and culture (B) Signup and view all the answers

In a Gesellschaft environment, how does population density influence social behavior?

It encourages isolation and individualism (C) Signup and view all the answers

What primarily limits individuals' striving for pleasure in Gesellschaft?

The availability of resources (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does convention influence behavior in Gesellschaft?

It serves as a guideline that maintains an appearance of morality. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Who is exempt from legal responsibilities in Gesellschaft?

Both children and lunatics (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role does the state fulfill regarding societal behavior in Gesellschaft?

Enforcing moral conduct and convention (C) Signup and view all the answers

What encourages individuals' varied expenditures of money in Gesellschaft?

Mutual competition (D) Signup and view all the answers

What motivates the restraint of desires in individuals within Gesellschaft?

Fear of discovery and punishment (C) Signup and view all the answers

What has convention supplanted in the context of Gesellschaft?

Folkways and mores (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the relationship between capitalists and individuals in Gesellschaft reveal?

A transactional relationship based on labor exchange (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the intellectual attitude of individuals in the city change over time?

It becomes less influenced by religion and more by science. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does social life in the city lead to in terms of organization?

An arbitrary and reasonable order of social organization. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What do external contracts and relations tend to obscure in urban society?

Inner hostilities and antagonistic interests. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why might the relationships within the city not contribute to a strong Gemeinschaft?

They develop only sporadically and lack deep connections. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant aspect of social interactions in urban environments?

They often lack mutual understanding. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the social structure in urban areas, according to the content?

Contrasts and fluctuations between different social groups. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested about the influences on social organization in the city?

Science and reason gradually take precedence over previous nonscientific ideologies. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of urban life does the term 'contractual relations' refer to?

Legal agreements significant in personal interactions. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ferdinand Tönnies

Tönnies (1855-1936) was a German sociologist born into a wealthy farming family.
His brother's trade with English merchants exposed him to English capitalism.
He taught at the University of Kiel until removed by the Nazis for his social-democratic views.
Less influential than Weber and Durkheim, he's considered a foundational sociologist.
Tönnies distinguished between Gemeinschaft (community) and Gesellschaft (society).
- Gemeinschaft is based on families, villages, agriculture, and local culture.
- Gesellschaft is based on large social units, complex trade, and industry.
He developed the concept of Wesenwille, essential/instinctive will, tied to Gemeinschaft and Kurwille, deliberate will, in Gesellschaft.
Influenced by English thinkers such as Hobbes, Maine, and Spencer.
While he did criticize Gesellschaft, he did not sentimentalize Gemeinschaft, but saw the shift between the two as a normal social process.
His work provides ideal types of social formations, not necessarily perfect models but for comparison.
Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft aren't polar opposites but positioned at different points on a spectrum.
- Social life can possess characteristics of both ideal types.

Order, Law, and Mores

Social order emerges from consensus (folkways, mores, and religion) or rational agreement (legislation and public opinion).
First instance is a common body of law based on norms of families and land ownership.
This form of order is rooted in the code of folkways and mores and religious ideals.
The alternative, rational order, reflects legal systems based on convention, politics, and public opinion.
A distinction exists between ideal law (mores) and positive law, which must be accepted to become legitimate.

The People (Folk) and the State

People form Gemeinschaft by creating their homes and communities, with families at the foundation.
From them emerge individuals with power (princes, etc.) as long as their actions are guided by the common will of the people.
Economic power, exemplified by merchants, becomes vital in forming Gesellschaft.
The people form society (Gesellschaft) based on economic activity, which in turn shapes the structure of the state.

Types of Real Community Life

Examples of community life are the house, village, and town, which are seen as more lasting and established.
Towns are the most advanced form of community, although family values persist.
Cities are the most complex social structures in Gesellschaft, but richer elites influence the character and life of the city.
The state becomes distanced from the customs and values of a community.

The Real State

In Gesellschaft, public opinion affects the state, as the state's power is used for the common good.
There can be a tendency for the state to use its power in ways that contradict public interests (e.g. suppression of dissent).
The state can also strive to reform or even destroy itself by pursuing the opposite values it was formed from.
Tönnies observed increasing class divisions and struggles in the modern context, a conflict between individual interest and public well-being.

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Explore the intricate relationships between law, religion, and social order through this quiz. Examine the distinctions between various cases and their implications on economic control and community relations. Test your understanding of how these factors shape social dynamics.