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От войны к миру: у истоков теории созидательного альтруизма Питирима Сорокина
This book is the second project implemented by Pavel Krotov and Alexander Dolgov on theoretical and historical heritage of one of the history's foremost analysts of social change Dr.Pitirim A. Sorokin. This time the authors drew attention to Pitirim Sorokin's studies of wars. Although important in many aspects, the one, which has particular value for understanding Pitirim Sorokin’s theoretical development, is that analysis of wars eventually led him to passionate studies of altruism and altruistic behavior. This subject also brought closely scientific interests and the Russian roots of the American sociologist. The World War II became a benchmark when Pitirim Sorokin started advocating for building cooperation between two great nations. These efforts have been largely overlooked both in Russia and the United States mainly because of the Cold War when politicians in both countries imposed a cloche of silence on historical initiatives of cooperation. The book in this respect is an attempt to reinstate Pitirim Sorokin’s true position during World War II and his invaluable research experience. The book organized in such manner that allows exploring Pitirim Sorokin's creative process in works on wars and social calamities as scientific reflections of his personal experiences. Leaves from The Russian Diary, Social and Cultural Dynamics, Russia and the United States, and other fundamental studies of wars showed gradual development in Sorokin’s research agenda toward the search of mechanisms in a global society that can break the vicious war circle. Therefore, the later Pitirim Sorokin’s initiative to establish the Harvard Research Center for Creative Altruism, although appeared in disaccord with his earlier works on social structure and social mobility, in fact became a logic stage in his theoretical growth. Another distinct feature for Pitirim Sorokin as a social scientist was his ability to extrapolate research finding on wars to the contemporary world. His early warning about the World War II brought him a worldwide recognition for accurate assessment of global processes and international reprints of his books and articles written during the War. Yet, Pitirim theoretical work put in the book to the broader context of the World politics on the eve, during, after the World War II. One chapter is specifically devoted to outlining Pitirim Sorokin's political standings in the war against Nazis in relation to the position of the Russian emigration in the World War II. The main underlying idea here is that contrary to most of the Russian emigrants Pitirim Sorokin was able to see evolution of the Communist regime in Russia and to recognize achievements in social and cultural areas in the USSR. He distinguished creative activities of people from the political regime, which according to Sorokin deviated from Communist ideas toward imperialistic ambitions. Realizing the major burden of war lied on people but not on the government Pitirim Sorokin did not have any hesitation in calling to help the Soviet Union in its war against Nazis. In Hitler’s invasion to the Soviet Union he envisioned the threat for the entire World and humanity. Therefore, Pitirim Sorokin put aside his pacifistic views and called for immediate military coalition against Axis. Pitirim Sorokin’s firm political position on supporting Russia considering respect he had in the American society and international science community was highly important to mobilize aid to fighting Russia. It also demonstrated to other Russian emigrants that ideological disagreements and personal score with the Communist regime should be put aside at the time when the survival of the country and culture was at stake. Practical support to Russia Sorokin’s family delivered through the charitable organization Russian War Relief, Inc. Elena Petrovna Sorokin, Pitirim’s wife, chaired the Russian War Relief Committee in Winchester and was also on the Board of the Massachusetts Russian War Relief Branch. Substantial part of the book deals with the unique archival documents Elena Petrovna collected over five years of the Committee’s activities. Therefore, a detailed case-study was done on various aspects of the local organization to raise assistance to the Russian families: 1) participation in nation-wide campaigns to collect family survival kits for 5 millions Russian families; 2) regular warm clothes collections, sawing, and knitting to ship to Russia; 3) medical supply; 4) finally raising monetary assistance. Activities of the Winchester’s Committee of the Russian War Relief demonstrated the degree of devoted and altruistic efforts of Sorokin’s family, as well as ordinary Americans at the local level to help Russian people struggling in the war against Nazis’. A few letters from the Russian families who received American aid also showed how important this assistance was to bridge these two nations. This book is multidisciplinary. By analyzing Sorokin’s contribution to sociological analysis of wars it make it as a sociological study. By deploying historical documents and analyzing specific historic facts related to the Russian War Relief Inc activities makes it historical. At the same time, the book might also be considered entertaining because it reveals the page in history of relations between countries that both sides tried cover up during the Cold War. Events described in the book took place at the time when the history was on crossroad and could take another road toward collaboration as opposed to chosen confrontation of the Cold War. In this respect it can be instructive for the current events, when the history gives another chance for two great nations to work together on global issues. Pitirim Sorokin was the one who made this attempt over half a century ago.
