The apartment shared by Georges Gurvitch and his wife was destroyed by a bomb on 22 June 1962, following a terrorist attack by the far-right nationalist group the O.A.S. The couple subsequently took refuge in the home of painter Marc Chagall. This incident occurred during a period when Gurvitch was actively advocating for the decolonization of Algeria.
Academic Trajectory
Born in Novorossiysk in 1894, Gurvitch received his education at Saint Petersburg State University. His professional life spanned several nations and institutions, reflecting a career deeply embedded in European intellectual life. He held teaching positions at the University of Strasbourg from 1935 to 1940 and again between 1945 and 1948. He later moved to the University of Paris from 1948 to 1950, eventually joining the École pratique des hautes études, where he remained until his death in 1965. During his career, he served as president from 1953 to 1955 and maintained membership in the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
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Gurvitch focused his research on the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, and the sociology of law. He challenged the conventional view that law is solely the product of state agencies such as legislatures or courts. Instead, he argued that various communities and informal groups generate their own regulations, which he identified as legitimate sociological law. His approach distinguished between social law and individual law, advocating for the recognition of social rights. This work culminated in the drafting of the Bill of Social Rights. His broader academic contributions include the founding of the journal Cahiers internationaux de Sociologie in 1944.
Published Works
The scope of his scholarship is documented in several key publications written throughout his life. His early work, Rousseau and the Bill of Rights, was published in Russian in 1918. Later titles include Essais de Sociologie (1939), Sociology of law (1942), and The Bill of Social Rights (1945). His later contributions to the field include La vocation actuelle de la sociologie (1950), Le concept des classes sociales de Marx à nos jours (1954), The Spectrum of Social Time (1958), Dialectique et sociologie (1962), and The Social Frameworks of Knowledge (1972).
Fast facts
- Born: 1894, Novorossiysk
- Died: 1965, Paris
- Citizenship: France, Soviet Union, Russian Empire
- Education: Saint Petersburg State University
- Academic roles: University of Strasbourg, University of Paris, École pratique des hautes études
- Presidential position: 1953-1955
- Key journal founded: Cahiers internationaux de Sociologie (1944)
Questions readers ask
What was Gurvitch's contribution to legal theory?
He developed a rigorous form of legal pluralism, asserting that various social groups and communities create their own valid laws, distinct from the rules enforced by the state.
Did Gurvitch teach any notable figures?
Yes, Ali Shariati, who became a key ideologue of the 1979 Iranian revolution, studied under Gurvitch at the University of Sorbonne in the 1960s.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Paris, École pratique des hautes études and University of Strasbourg
- Fields: sociology of religion
