The biography of Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin, the author of a number of well-known sociological theories, contains all the dramatic events of the first half of the twentieth century. He was a direct witness to many of the sharp turns in history that befell Russia in that era. One of the most prominent sociologists in the world survived political repression under the tsarist regime, two revolutions, a civil war and exile from the country. Unfortunately, the importance of the scientific works of Pitirim Sorokin was not appreciated either in Russia or in the United States of America, which became his second home. The exceptionally erudite sociologist wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles, subsequently translated into forty-eight languages. According to many modern experts, his theories, revealing the problems and contradictions of human society, remain relevant today.
Family
The future scientist and politician was born in 1889 in the Vologda province. The biography of Pitirim Sorokin began in a small village called Turya. His father, an icon decorator, was engaged in restoration work in churches. The mother died as a resultillness at the age of thirty-four. This tragedy became Sorokin's first childhood memory. The father taught Pitirim and his older brother Vasily the subtleties of his profession. The head of the family did not marry a second time and tried to cope with grief from the loss of a loved one with vodka. After the father drank to delirium tremens, the sons left home and became itinerant artisans.
Youth
A brief biography of Pitirim Sorokin is set out in his book en titled "The Long Road". In his memoirs, the author recalls his early years and describes in detail the event that became a turning point in his difficult fate. Almost by accident, having got into the entrance exams at a special institution for the training of teachers for parochial schools, he passed the tests and was enrolled. Despite the fact that living on a tiny scholarship was a difficult task, two years later Sorokin successfully completed his education. For excellent results, he was given the opportunity to continue his education at public expense.
Student years
In 1904, Sorokin began his studies at a school for the training of teachers in the Kostroma province. At that time, political unrest raged in the Russian Empire. The fermentation of minds at all times was typical of the student environment. The future sociologist joined a revolutionary group that adhered to populist ideology. This period of the biography of Pitirim Sorokin played a significant role in shaping his worldview and value system.
Passionatehis character did not allow him to remain aloof from the dangerous illegal activities of a circle of revolutionaries. As a result, the student was arrested by the police on suspicion of political unreliability. He spent several months in prison. Thanks to the liberal attitude of the guards, the revolutionaries, while in prison, communicated almost freely with each other and with the outside world. According to Sorokin, the time spent in prison made it possible to get acquainted with the classic works of socialist philosophers.
Having been released from prison, the future famous sociologist decided to stop participating in the revolutionary struggle and devote himself to science. After a couple of years of wandering around the country, he managed to enter the law faculty of the State University in St. Petersburg. A new stage has begun in the biography of Pitirim Sorokin, opening the way to academic heights for a young talent.
Scientific activity
As a university student, he showed amazing performance. In a short time, Sorokin wrote and published a large number of reviews and abstracts. He actively collaborated with a number of specialized scientific journals devoted to issues of psychology and sociology. The main achievement of this period of the biography of Pitirim Sorokin was a book called "Crime and Punishment, Feat and Reward". She received very high marks in academia.
Despite the intense scientific work, Sorokin returned to political activity and again attractedpolice attention. In order to avoid trouble on the part of the guardians of the law, he was forced, using a false passport, to leave for Western Europe and stay there for several months. After returning to Russia, the scientist wrote a pamphlet criticizing the monarchical state system. This led to another arrest. Sorokin managed to get out of prison only thanks to the intercession of his mentor Maxim Kovalevsky, who was a member of the Duma.
World War I years
After graduating from university, a talented Russian scientist lectured on sociology and was preparing to receive the title of professor. During the World War, he continued to publish his literary works in large numbers, among which there was even one fantastic story. The beginning of the revolution prevented the defense of the dissertation.
In the dramatic year of 1917, Sorokin married Elena Baratynskaya, a hereditary noblewoman from the Crimea. They met at one of the literary evenings. The couple was destined to share all the joys and sorrows and remain together until the end of their lives.
Revolution and Civil War
In a brief biography of Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin, it is impossible to mention all the events that he witnessed and directly participated in during the turbulent years of the collapse of the Russian Empire. The scientist assisted the work of the Provisional Government and even acted as Secretary of the Prime MinisterAlexander Kerensky. Sorokin, before others, saw a serious threat in the Bolshevik Party and demanded the use of tough measures to strengthen order and stabilize the situation in the country.
After the October Revolution, he joined the fight against Soviet power and took part in an attempt to overthrow it in the Arkhangelsk province. Sorokin was arrested by the Bolsheviks and sentenced to death. However, in exchange for a public promise to give up political activity, he was not only spared his life, but also returned his freedom. Sorokin resumed scientific and teaching work at the university. After the end of the Civil War, he received the title of professor and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in sociology.
Exile
In 1922, mass arrests of intellectuals began on suspicion of dissent and disloy alty to the Bolshevik government. Among those detained by the Moscow Extraordinary Commission was Sorokin. Those arrested were offered a simple choice: be shot or leave the Soviet country forever. The doctor of sociological sciences and his wife went to Germany and then to the United States of America. They took with them only two suitcases, which contained the most important - handwritten main works. The biography of Pitirim Sorokin from the beginning of his academic career until the moment of expulsion from his native country began to be called the Russian period of his work. The famous scientist was deported forever, but escaped physical violence and was able to continue his work in distant America.
Living and working in the USA
In 1923, Sorokin came to the United States to lecture on the revolutionary events in Russia. He received collaboration offers from the Universities of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. It took Sorokin less than a year to become fluent in English. In America, he wrote and published a book called "Pages of a Russian Diary", which is a personal memoir of a scientist about a turbulent revolutionary time.
The works of Pitirim Sorokin, created in exile, have made a significant contribution to world sociology. In just a few years of living in the United States, he wrote a lot of scientific papers in which he outlined his theories of the structure of human society. Sorokin became a prominent figure in American academic circles and received an offer to head the Department of Sociology at the world famous Harvard University. It may seem incredible, but according to contemporaries, he continued to maintain relations with friends who remained in Russia, even during the period of Stalinist repression. After many years of fruitful work at Harvard, Sorokin retired and devoted the rest of his life to gardening. He passed away in 1968 at his home in Massachusetts.
Ideas and books
Pitirim Sorokin's work "The Sociology of Revolution", published shortly after moving to America, attracted readers' attention. In this book, he emphasizes the inefficiencyviolent change of the political system, since in practice such actions always lead to a reduction in personal freedom and the suffering of millions of people. According to the author, revolutions devalue human life and give rise to universal cruelty. As an alternative, Sorokin proposes peaceful constitutional reforms that pursue not utopian but real goals. The ideas of one of the greatest sociologists in history are not outdated in our time.
