The Quest for Community, published in 1953, established Robert Nisbet as a significant critic of modern individualism and state centralization. By identifying the erosion of intermediate institutions, he challenged dominant social science paradigms. His intellectual output spanned over four decades, bridging sociology, political science, and philosophy while maintaining a consistent focus on the preservation of traditional communal life.
Academic Career and Formation
Born in Los Angeles in 1913, Nisbet completed his doctoral studies in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1939 under the supervision of Frederick J. Teggart. After serving in the United States Army in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, he returned to Berkeley to found the Department of Sociology. He later transitioned to administrative roles, serving as a dean and vice-chancellor at the University of California, Riverside. He continued his academic career at the University of Arizona and held the Albert Schweitzer Chair at Columbia University until his retirement in 1978.
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Nisbet developed an interest in the conservative thought of 19th-century Europe, specifically engaging with the works of Edmund Burke and Alexis de Tocqueville. He argued that the nation-state exerted centralizing pressures that marginalized local communities, a process he believed accelerated following World War I. While he identified as a philosophical conservative, he maintained non-traditional positions for his political alignment, including support for abortion rights and opposition to the foreign policies of Ronald Reagan.
Scholarship and Later Years
Following his retirement from Columbia, Nisbet spent eight years at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., where he produced further scholarly work. In 1988, he delivered the Jefferson Lecture in Humanities. His extensive bibliography includes titles such as The Sociological Tradition, The Twilight of Authority, and The Present Age. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972 and the American Philosophical Society in 1973. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1996.
Fast facts
- Born: 1913, Los Angeles
- Died: 1996, Washington, D.C.
- Academic Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
- Jefferson Lecture: 1988
- Primary Fields: Sociology, Political Science
- Notable Employer: University of California, Berkeley
- Citizenship: United States
- Membership: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Questions readers ask
What was Robert Nisbet's core argument regarding community?
He contended that modern social science ignored the human drive for community, leaving individuals vulnerable to the centralizing power of the nation-state.
Did Robert Nisbet hold traditional conservative political views?
He identified as a philosophical conservative but notably supported abortion rights and publicly criticized the foreign policy of President Ronald Reagan.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of California, Riverside, University of California, Berkeley and University of Arizona
- Fields: sociology and political science
