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Ludwig Gumplowicz





LIFE

Gumplowicz studied law in Kraków, then became a lawyer and Publicist there. In 1875 he began teaching Administration in Graz; in 1882 he became an Associate Professor , and in 1893 a full professor. In 1909 he committed suicide along with his wife after he had become ill with Cancer .


WORKS AND INFLUENCE

Gumplowicz became interested in the problem of suppressed ethnic groups very early, being from a Jew ish family and coming from Kraków, which was annexed by Austria-Hungary . He was a lifelong advocate of Minorities in the Habsburg Empire , in particular the Slavic speakers.

Gumplowicz soon became interested in the later form of Sociology Of Conflict , starting out from the idea of the '' Group '' (then known as '' Race ''). He saw the State as an institution which served various controlling Elite s at different times. In analysis, he leaned towards Macrosociology , predicting that if the minorities of a state became socially integrated, they would break out in war. In his 1909 publication, ''Der Rassenkampf'' (Struggle of the Races) he foresaw world war. During his life he was considered a Social Darwinist .

His political beliefs and his polemic character attracted many Polish and Italian students, making his theories important in Poland, Italy and other crown states (today Croatia , Czech Republic ). But the fact that he published his works in German meant that he was also an important figure in German-speaking countries. Gustav Ratzenhofer was the most prominent of those influenced by him.


SELECTED WORKS

  • ''Geschichte der Staatstheorien'' (History of Theories of State), 1905

  • ''Der Rassenkampf'' (Struggle of the Races) 1909

  • ''Sozialphilosophie im Umriss'' ; reprinted 1980 , ISBN 0878556931



SEE ALSO