Florian Znaniecki proposed a unique approach to sociology, which he termed culturalism, offering a distinct path between idealism and realism. This perspective is foundational to modern antipositivist sociological thought. Znaniecki’s work primarily explored the impact of culture and human meaning, defining sociology as the study of these elements. He powerfully advocated for the consideration of the active, creative individual in the construction of objective reality.
Słynne dzieło czołowego polskiego socjologa, który w 1921 r. przedstawił kompleksową diagnozę stanu duchowego i cywilizacyjnego świata zachodniego, ukazując jego kryzys i zagrożenia, jakie przed nim stoją, zwłaszcza bolszewickie. Jego analiza zasad komunizmu należy do najbardziej przenikliwych prac na ten temat.
In this seminal contribution to the sociology of knowledge, first published in 1940, Florian Znaniecki develops a typology of the variety of specific social roles that scholars have played, and investigates the normative patterns that govern their behavior. A central tool for the investigation of these problems is the notion of "social circle", the audience to which intellectuals address themselves. Znaniecki shows that thinkers do not speak to the total society but address selected segments and markets. Specific social circles bestow recognition, provide material or psychic support, and help shape the self-image of the thinker.