Lord Thomas, Norbert Elias (1897-1990) was a German sociologist best known for his work on the process of civilization and the development of social norms. His most influential work, "The Civilizing Process" (1939), examines the historical development of manners, social behaviors, and state formation in Western Europe from [[The Middle Ages]] to the early modern period. Elias introduced the concept of the "civilizing process," which describes how societies have progressively regulated individual behaviors and [[Emotions]] through the internalization of norms and social controls. Elias’s approach emphasized the interdependence of individuals within social structures, focusing on long-term social processes and the dynamic relationships between people. He also developed the concept of "figuration," which refers to networks of interdependent individuals whose interactions shape social structures. **Possible Links to [[Knowledge/Object-Oriented Ontology]] (OOO)**: 1. **Interdependence and Networks**: Elias's concept of figuration aligns with OOO's emphasis on the interconnectedness of entities. Both perspectives recognize the significance of networks in shaping the behavior and properties of objects (including humans). 2. **Decentering Human Agency**: Elias’s work decentered individual agency by highlighting the role of social processes and structures. Similarly, OOO decouples human centrality by granting agency to non-human entities. This parallel suggests a compatibility between Elias's focus on social structures and OOO’s broader ontological framework. 3. **Long-Term Processes**: Both Elias and OOO stress the importance of examining processes over time. Elias’s analysis of the civilizing process can be seen as akin to OOO’s interest in the evolving relationships and influences among objects. 4. **Materiality and Social Structures**: Elias’s focus on social structures can be enriched by OOO’s attention to the materiality of objects. Understanding how physical objects (e.g., architecture, technology) influence social processes could provide a more comprehensive view of societal development. Integrating Elias’s sociological insights with OOO can foster a nuanced understanding of how human and non-human factors coalesce in the shaping of social reality. `Concepts:` [[Sociology]] `Knowledge Base:`