The State, published in 1907, remains the definitive work of Franz Oppenheimer, a German intellectual who challenged conventional sociological theories regarding political power. His analysis identified the modern state not as a social contract, but as an entity originating from the forced dominion of a victorious group over a defeated population to facilitate economic exploitation.
Medical Practice and Academic Transition
Born in Berlin in 1864, Oppenheimer initially pursued a medical career. He practiced as a physician in Berlin from 1886 until 1895 before shifting his focus to social economics and sociopolitical inquiry. This transition led him to journalism as the editor-in-chief of the magazine Welt am Morgen. He eventually returned to formal academia, earning a doctorate at Kiel University in 1909 with a thesis concerning the economist David Ricardo.
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Oppenheimer served as a Privatdozent in Berlin until 1917, subsequently holding a position as Titularprofessor. In 1919, he accepted an appointment at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. This role established the first university chair dedicated to sociology in Germany. Throughout his career, he remained committed to institutional progress, including his 1914 role as a co-founder of the German Committee for Freeing of Russian Jews.
The Political Means versus Economic Means
Central to his philosophy was the distinction between the economic means—labor and the equivalent exchange of goods—and the political means, defined as the unrequited appropriation of the labor of others. He argued that the state functions as the mechanism for the political means, creating systemic inequality. Despite his critical view of the state, he rejected revolutionary violence, advocating instead for an evolutionary path toward a society without class interests.
International Influence and Final Years
Oppenheimer provided the blueprint for an agricultural co-operative in Merhavia in 1911, an initiative that transitioned into a moshav by 1922. As an admirer of American social reformer Henry George, he continued his academic work in the United States after fleeing Nazi persecution in 1938. Following travels through Tokyo and Shanghai, he settled in Los Angeles and became a founding member of The American Journal of Economics and Sociology in 1941, where he remained until his death in 1943.
Fast facts
- Born: 1864, Berlin
- Died: 1943, Los Angeles
- Education: Doctorate, Kiel University
- Notable Work: The State (1907)
- Professional Positions: Physician, Sociologist, Political Economist
- Burial Site: Frankfurt am Main South Cemetery
- Notable Student: Ludwig Erhard
- Academic Membership: Honorary member, American Sociological Association
Questions readers ask
What is the conquest theory of the state?
It is the sociological premise that states originate from the forcible subjugation of one group by another, rather than through voluntary social contracts.
Did Oppenheimer support communism?
No, he specifically rejected communism because he believed it inevitably resulted in a loss of individual freedom.
Achievements
- Notable work: The State
- Held posts at Goethe University Frankfurt
