Pitirim Sorokin on the Altruization of Humanity

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Discussion

Barry V. Johnston:

"Sorokin saw before us a period of increased conflicts, revolutions, and wars. A major change in our values and understanding of the world was necessary to survive and progress. Accordingly, his research focused on the transition and he published: "A Neglected Factor of War" (1938), The Crisis of Our Age (1941), Man and Society in Calamity (1942), "The Causes and Factors of War" (1942), and "The Conditions and Prospects of a World Without War" (1944).

In The Crisis of Our Age, Sorokin asked what could be done about our situation. The remedy "demands a fundamental transformation of our system of values, and the profoundest modification of our conduct toward other men, cultural values and the world at large" (Sorokin 1941, 321). The new mentality must involve an Integral synthesis that fuses the truth of reason, faith, and science. A new Integral value system that treats truth, goodness, and beauty as integrated absolutes is essential for the new age (Sorokin 1941, 317). The Integral transformation of worldview and values is insufficient, however, unless it becomes part of human action, social relationships, and social organization. Sorokin was unsure how this might happen. He simply suggested replacing "the present compulsory and contractual relationships with purer and more godly familistic relationships" (Sorokin 1941, 320). While Crisis lacks a satisfying solution to current problems, Integralism becomes more developed as the strategy.

Sorokin continued to seek a solution in Man and Society in Calamity. This work explored the effects of hunger, disease, and war on mind, behavior, and social organization. Again, Sorokin had no satisfying remedies but found a promising direction (Sorokin 1942b, 296-307). To resolve our crisis we must develop an Integral culture.

To do this we must transform Integral knowledge and values into personal and collective action. The mechanism for such a transformation was altruism. Sorokin argued that all other solutions were inadequate:

- None of the prevalent prescriptions against international and civil wars can eliminate or notably decrease these conflicts. By these popular prescriptions I mean, first, elimination of wars and strife by political changes, especially by democratic political transformations. Tomorrow the whole world could become democratic, and yet wars and blood strife would not be eliminated because democracies happen to be no less belligerent and strife-infected than autocracies. The same goes for education in its present form as a panacea. Tomorrow all grown-up persons in the world could become Ph.D. 's, and yet this enormous progress in education would not eliminate wars and bloody conflicts. Since the tenth century, education has made enormous progress and yet the international wars, the bloody revolutions, and the grave forms of crimes have not decreased. On the contrary, in the most scientific and most educated twentieth century they have reached an unrivaled height and made this century the bloodiest among all the preceding twenty-five centuries of Graeco-Roman and European history. The same goes for religious changes ... if by religious revival and moral rearmament are meant only ideological and speech-reactional transformation. The same goes for Communist, Socialist, or Capitalist economic remedies, when these are not backed by increased altruization of persons and groups. Without a notable increase of unselfish, creative love (as ideally formulated in the Sermon on the Mount) in overt behavior, in overt interindividual and intergroup relationships, in social institutions and culture, there is no chance for a lasting peace and for interhuman harmony, internal or external (Sorokin 1942b, 271-73)."

The solution to the crisis is the altruization of humanity."

(Source: Sorokin's Life and Work. Barry V. Johnston. Chapter 1 of "Sorokin and Civilization")


The Lilly Endowment and the Reconstruction of Humanity: Integralism and Altruism

Barry V. Johnson:

"Sorokin's concern with altruism signaled another major career shift.

Mainstream sociology was becoming increasingly empirical, methodologically dominated, and moving in directions he considered sterile. Furthermore, his situation at Harvard had changed. Talcott Parsons successfully led a movement that did away with the Department of Sociology in 1946, and incorporated it as a "wing" in the new Department of Social Relations. This department was chaired by Parsons and held little interest or opportunity for Sorokin. However, as this change was in the making Sorokin received a letter from the pharmaceutical entrepreneur and Indianapolis philanthropist Eli Lilly. Lilly stated that on the basis of reading Sorokin's work he thought him one of the few scholars who could "fruitfully study the problems of the moral and mental regeneration of today's confused and largely demoralized society" (Sorokin 1963a:276). Toward that end he offered Sorokin a $20,000 grant to continue his work. With the award Sorokin wrote The Reconstruction of Humanity (1948), which was his first major statement on altruism. After its publication Lilly asked to meet with him. Lilly was surprised that only $248 of the $20,000 grant was spent on The Reconstruction of Humanity. He suggested that Sorokin expand the scope and increase the intensity of his work. To help Lilly promised an additional $100,000 to be paid at $20,000 per year for the next five years.

With the grant money Sorokin established the Harvard Center for Creative Altruism in February 1949, and reduced his Harvard teaching to half time. By 1950, Sorokin's increased productivity was evident: Social Philosophies in an Age of Crisis (1950), Altruistic Love (1950), and Explorations in Altruistic Love and Behavior: A Symposium (1950) were all published that year. In 1951, S.O.S.: The Meaning of Our Crisis came out and was followed by Forms and Techniques of Altruistic and Spiritual Growth: A Symposium (1954), The Ways and Power of Love (1954), and Power and Morality (1959). These books and many articles resulted from Lilly's support.

The guiding assumptions of the Center originated from Sorokin's Integralism. Man was an Integral creature. His senses tied him to the physical world; he was a rational thinker; and through his spirit/soul was linked to the transcendental. Man was also a creator. Through him a new realm of reality had been added to the cosmos:the cultural world. To the inorganic and organic, man had added the superorganic realm of culture. Culture ties man to the infinite world of total reality. It is through culture that he seeks the supreme Integral value: the unity of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. With its realization comes peace, harmony with nature, and the growth of the soul. The means to this end is altruism. How to make mankind altruistic was the task of the Center.

The Center's research focus was further shaped by a dual premise. First, peace must begin and be reinforced by the altruization of individuals, groups, institutions, and cultures. Secondly, unselfish creative altruism represents a potentially tremendous power. "If we know how to transform individuals and groups into more altruistic and creative beings, who feel, think and behave as real members of mankind united into one intensely solidary family then we have discovered an enormous creative and therapeutic possibility" (Sorokin 1963a:273). It was toward these ends that the Center directed its activities. The goal was to develop a positive science capable of harnessing the creative forces of the human spirit and maximizing freedom and humanity. The Center's first task was to define the types of altruism. Sorokin wrote of altruism as a continuum stretching between genuine altruism and egoism. The intermediate forms were non-altruistic and pseudo-altruistic behavior. A goal of altruization was to develop authentic prosocial behaviors guided by the desire to help others. True altruism involved a willingness to share another's frustration, sorrow, and pain. In its extreme form one would freely sacrifice oneself for another.

Altruism also varied in extensiveness, or scope. At the top of the altruistic scale are those who are free of anti- and non-altruistic impulses and extend their love to all of humanity. They not only love their brothers, but their enemies. Here, as examples, we find Gandhi, Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, and the Buddha. Altruism for most, however, is limited to family and their primary groups. Sorokin called these people ingroup altruists, out-group egoists. A practical problem was how to make their altruism reach larger groups of people."

(Source: Sorokin's Life and Work. Barry V. Johnston. Chapter 1 of "Sorokin and Civilization")


Superconsciousness: Our Capacity to Reach Peace and the Eternal

Barry V. Johnston:

"For Sorokin real altruization must occur at three interrelated levels: the personal, cultural, and social.

Individual change would precede social and cultural change. Sorokin argued that all mindful persons must begin with themselves. Specifically, they must allow their superconsciousness increasing control of their consciousness. Superconsciousness is our capacity to see and become one with the eternal. This capacity can be more fruitfully developed through meditation than education.

Indeed, much of the Center's work was on meditation as means of spiritual growth and altruization.

With the growth of our spirit (Superconsciousness) altruization can be intensified, first by the performance of small tasks that require that awareness be transformed into action. Quietly, the individual begins to feel and express the power of love by following the Buddha or practicing the small acts of altruism suggested by The Sermon on the Mount and Christianity. The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes forecast religious happiness for those who are largely without wealth or position on earth.

Sorokin saw more than biblical injunctions in these passages; he saw the prescription for a good life and a good society. If one wanted to eliminate social problems and evil, then fashion better people. The Sermon told us how to do this by incorporating these values into our social roles. For example, as a parent one takes care of children in ways that are beneficial to their nature and development. As an artist or politician one stops producing vulgarized trash or unjust legislation. As a scientist or inventor one should work for the common good rather than on a destructive arsenal that pushes us closer to nuclear madness. As a teacher one creates in students a quality of mind that seeks truth and good, rather than producing mindless entities whose expertise is found only in the blind application of a paradigm to problems that may be destructive to mankind. As a businessman, a laborer, mechanic, or a clerk, individuals perform their roles either directed by altruism or egoism and thus contribute to the prosocial or antisocial climate of society. Sorokin viewed the total fabric of culture as the product of millions of trifling acts and individual deeds. If each of us simply avoids the selfish abuse of our functions, then the world is improved. But if we each attempt to altruize our actions, then the world is enriched.

The modification of social and cultural institutions occurs through the concerted efforts of individuals acting in groups organized, integrated, and merged into federations and associations. These groups develop methods for increasing altruism. They also devise plans for the transformation of society. It is their function to convince ever larger segments of society of the urgency and feasibility of the Integral reconstruction of humanity.

Their integrated activities will progressively transform Integral values, norms, and ideas into cultural, social, and personal realities. Through these bodies pressure is put on nation states and international organizations to change in the desired direction. Thus individual behavior, cultural values, and social institutions are modified in an orderly fashion and in compliance with Integral values. Eventually the entire sociocultural system becomes more peaceful and creative (Sorokin 1948,235-36).

This reconstruction of society was based on the pursuit of Integral truth. Humanity sought Integral truth by becoming more altruistic, and through altruism the ultimate Integral value became part of humanity and society. In turn, a new Integral culture evolves, which gives us a better grasp of ourselves and the cosmos. Through this culture we move to perfect our nature and advance toward a world at peace."

(Source: Sorokin's Life and Work. Barry V. Johnston. Chapter 1 of "Sorokin and Civilization")