Dr. Norbert Elias 1 University Street
W.C. 1 [London]
17.4.38

Honourable Herr Doktor,

I have taken the liberty of sending you a copy of the first volume of my work "Ueber den Prozess der Zivilisation" under separate cover. Gisela Freund wrote me that she had spoken to you about it. I would be very pleased - and it is somewhat my wish - to see the book reviewed by you in the Institute's journal.

I will say to you openly, that I have posed myself a rather considerable task with this book. Behind all the many materials and examples, which perhaps attract too much attention, but which were inavoidable if I was not to speak only in generalities, stands the idea that we can never understand the relation between the societal process and the 'psychical' as long as we see in the psychical only something static and unchangeable, as long as we do not also see the psychical as 'in process'. It leads nowhere, it seems to me, if from a marxist position one criticizes or opposes psychoanalysis or some other ahistorical form of psychology because of this or the other detail. Before us stands the more positive task of making the rukes of the historical change in the psychical accessible to our understanding. This is the contribution which this first volume seeks to make. Then it remains for us to investigate, step by step, which social processes are the motors of this psychical change. That takes places in the second volume, which is in press at the moment, although for external reasons we will unfortunately have to wait some time before it appears.

I cannot judge if I have succeeded in representing the problem I have posed myself clearly and convincingly. In hope, after a Scandinavian lecture tour which I am commencing now, to be able to pass through Paris, and I would be very pleased if I then had the opportunity of speaking personally to you about it. But because it appears that I will have to go to America in Autumn, it would be doing me a great favour if you could arrange for the review to appear before that.

In the meantime I am,

with best wishes

your

very sincere

Norbert Elias

[signature]

source:

http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/social/elias/schottke.htm