Norbert Elias and the Sociology of Knowledge

The establishment of the sociology of knowledge as a distinct, well-defined and important sub-field was of central concern to Norbert Elias. This chapter contextualises Elias’s approach relative to the work of other important figures connected to the sociology of knowledge. It then examines his perspective on some key issues within the field. These include its scope, objects and methods, the problems with philosophical epistemology, the institutionalisation of knowledge, its long-term development and the connection with Elias’s own vision for the sociology of knowledge. This chapter highlights the ways in which this vision complements a critical realist approach to the field.