J. Freund: dialectical interactionism and social equilibrium. critical reception of Simmel and Pareto’s sociology in the construction of asocial philosophy

Abstract

This article explores the influence of Simmel and Pareto on the social philosophy of J. Freund (1921-1993). Recognized as an interpreter and promotor of the sociology of both authors in the French academic context of the last third of the last century, both are at the foundation of Freund's social theory, with a central component being his well-known “theory of essences”, developed primarily in L’essence du politique (1965). However, this influence has not been sufficiently studied. This article proposes a preliminary approach, highlighting the presence of both authors in defining what we will refer to as Freundian “dialectical interactionism”, his unique methodological perspective for the study of social dynamics and equilibrium.