In hmolscience, Eugene Roberty (1843-1915) (SN:34) (CR:10), Евгений Валентинович Де Роберти (Russian), De Robertis Castro de la Cerda, or “Eugene V. de Rebertis”, among other variants, was a Russian positivism sociologist, of Spanish descent, noted, in sociological thermodynamics, for his 1910 Energy and Sociology, according to which he is credited as having been one of the first to introduce mechanistic theories in sociology, particularly using an energetics platform of reasoning. [1]
Overview
Roberty, over the years, published a number of works on scholars such as: Friedrich Nietzsche, Auguste Comte, and Herbert Spencer.
In 1910, Roberty published Energy and Sociology, based on what seems to be the work of Wilhelm Ostwald, and in 1914 he published The Concept of Reason and the Laws of the Universe. [5]
Russian-born American sociologist Pitirim Sorokin is said to have been the last and greatest promoter of Roberty’s work. [2]
Roberty’s main first publication, it seems, was the 1880 book Sociology, the first ten chapters of which were previously published in the Review of Positive Philosophy (Revue La philosophie Positive), March-April 1876 and July-August 1878. [3]
Roberty’s basic theory, according to the 1929 views of American sociologist Howard W. Odum, was that he had an energetic theory wherein he considered there to be three fundamental forms of energy as composing the world as we know it, the physico-chemical or inorganic with the molecule as the unit; the vital or organic whose essence is the cell; and the social or superorganic centered in the brain and nervous system. These merge together into the other in an almost imperceptible way, with the superorganic elements constituting the highest forms of psychical phenomena with thought and abstract knowledge as fundamentals. [1]
Roberty seems to have culled his energetics views from German physical chemist Wilhelm Ostwald, whose theories he reviews in an article. [4]
Later works
Roberty seems to have produced a number of works, beyond this first 1880 Sociology publication, such as: Agnosticism (Agnosticisme), What is progress?: Lecture at the Institute of Advanced Studies The University News (Qu'Est-Ce Que Le Progres?: Leçon Donnée À L'Institut Des Hautes Études De L'Université Nouvelle), Sociology of Action: The Social Genesis Of Reason And The Origins Of Rational Action (Sociologie De L'action: La Genèse Sociale De La Raison Et Les Origines Rationnelles De L'action), Friedrich Nietzsche: Contribution to the history of philosophical ideas and socially at the end of the nineteenth century (Frédéric Nietzsche: Contribution À L'histoire Des Idées Philosophiques Et Sociales À La Fin Du Xixe Siècle), Sociology: An Essay in Philosophy sociology (La Sociologie: Essai De Philosophie Sociologique), Old and the New Philosophy: An Essay on the general laws of development of philosophy (L'ancienne Et La Nouvelle Philosophie: Essai Sur Les Lois Générales Du Développement De La Philosophie), Ethics: the Social Psyche (L'éthique: Le Psychisme Social), Second Essay on the Morality Considered as Elementary Sociology (Deuxième Essai Sur La Morale Considérée Comme Sociologie Élémentaire), Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer: Contribution to the History of Philosophical Ideas In the nineteenth century (Auguste Comte Et Herbert Spencer: Contribution À L'histoire Des Idées Philosophiques Au Xixe Siècle), and Ethics. Good And Evil: An Essay On Morals As Seen First Sociology (L'éthique. Le Bien Et Le Mal: Essai Sur La Morale Considérée Comme Sociologie Première), among possible others.
References
1. Odum, Howard W. and Jocher, Katharine C. (1929). An Introduction to Social Research (mechanistic theories, pgs. 108-109). H. Holt and Co.
2. (a) Sorokin, Pitirim. (1928). Contemporary Sociological Theories (ch. viii). Harper & Brothers.
(b) Semlali, Yusef. (2005). “Eugene de Roberty (1843-1915): A Little Known Page of History of Sociology” (abs) (French → English), School Paper.
3. Roberty, Eugene. (1880). Sociology (La Sociologie). Russia; Ed Felix Alcan, Paris, third edition.
4. Author. (1967). “Article”, International Review of History and Political Science, Volume 4 (pg. 35). Review Publications.
5. (a) Roberty, Eugene. (1910). Energy and Sociology (Энергетика и социология). St. Petersburg: Herald of Europe (Вестник Европы).
(b) Roberty, Eugene. (1914). The Concept of Reason and the Laws of the Universe. St. Petersburg: Publisher.
External links
● Eugene de Roberty (Russian → English) – Wikipedia.
