Preliminary Observations

This chapter intends to provide a general introduction into the sociological oeuvre of Norbert Elias. Elias provided himself, shortly before his death, information on his life, work and worldview (cf. Doni 2014; Elias 1994). The chapter will deal in some detail with what are possibly his best-known works, The Court Society(1983) and the two volumes of The Civilizing Process (2000). How these two works relate to Elias's other ones is a moot question (cf. Smith 1984: 370). In any case, some more recent works by this author, such as those dealing with the sociology of sport or with epistemological issues concerning the field of study and research method of sociology, will also receive attention. Epistemological issues will be dealt with first here, as their presentation sheds light on Elias's peculiar notion of this discipline, and the proper way of investigating it. Elias first discussed such issues in his introduction to the book What Is Sociology? (1978), and subsequently, in a number of essays dealing with a variety of subjects such as involvement and detachment (1987b); the symbol theory (1991b); time (1992) (cf. Elias 1992); and the sociology of knowledge and the sciences (2009).

The chapter will then consider those Elias's works which broach specific sociological themes. These works are known to students of Elias, but they are often also known to a broader audience of sociologically informed readers. Instances thereof are Quest for Excitement (1986, with Eric Dunning), The Established and the Outsiders (1994, with John Scotson), The Germans(1996), The Society of Individuals (2001b) and The Loneliness of the Dying (2001a). Other and possibly less-known works by Elias will be also touched upon here. They deal from a sociological viewpoint with questions as diverse as Mozart's life (1991a) and contemporary geopolitical problems (2014). This chapter will finally present some secondary literature on Elias. Epistemological issues will be considered first.

Epistemological Issues

These issues were of foremost importance to Elias in his early introduction to sociology and remained so thereafter. They concern his notion of figuration and of sociology's proper field of studies.