Darendorf Ralph is a well-known philosopher and sociologist of German-English descent. Also famous for his work on political science, as well as participation in public life. He served as head of the German Society of Sociologists, was a member of the Bundestag, was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the Parliament. He was one of the founders of the University of Constance.
Youth of Darendorf
Darendorf Ralph was born on May 1, 1929. His father Gustav was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and represented it in the German parliament. However, in 1933 he lost his job because he publicly spoke out against the law on the provision of emergency powers to the government. Thanks to this bill, power in the country actually passed to the government of Adolf Hitler. Darendorf’s father not only publicly opposed the bill, but also voted against it in parliament. After the Nazis finally came to power, he was arrested and lost his job.
During the Second World War, the Ralph family moved to Bukov. At school, a 14-year-old future sociologist actively participated in the campaign against Nazism, compiled leaflets. His father in these years worked underground. However, he was again arrested after the failure of the "conspiracy of the generals", when on July 20, 1944 an unsuccessful attempt on the Fuhrer took place. As a result, most of the participants in the German Resistance were executed or repressed.
Arrest
Darendorf Ralph was detained in 1944, but due to his youth he was not sent to prison. For a long time he was kept in a camp near the village of Shvetig, until he was released by Soviet troops.
Ralph's father was an ardent opponent of the unification in the Soviet zone of the Social Democratic Party of Germany with the German Communists. The British military helped the Darendorf family move from Berlin to Hamburg. There, Ralph passed the exams and received a diploma of secondary education.
In 1948, Ralph left Germany, moved to England, where he began to study at political courses, which were specially organized for the Germans in the English occupation zone.
Higher education
Darendorf Ralph began to graduate at the University of Hamburg. There he studied classical and modern philosophy. In 1952 he defended his thesis, evaluating the teachings of Karl Marx.
Then he moved to London, where he began to study sociology. He studied under Popper and Marshall, the latter held the post of graduate student.
In 1956 he defended his thesis, the topic of his study was unskilled labor in British industry. In addition, the sociologist Darendorf Ralph studied classes and their conflict in the realities of industrial society. In 1957 he submitted this work for a doctorate.
In his first works, Darendorf criticized Marx and his ideas. From 1957 to 1958, he served as an intern at the Center for Behavioral Science Research in Palo Alto.
Political career
Darendorf Ralph, whose biography was originally associated with the German Social Democratic Party and the socialist union of German students, is still better known in politics as a conductor of liberal ideas.
In 1967 he became a member of the Free Democratic Party. He actively worked on reorienting the party in the early 70s. In those years, the sociologist Darendorf Ralph, whose photo at that time was very popular, became known thanks to discussions with the leaders of the 1968 movement. One of his opponents was Rudy Duchke, a German Marxist politician and sociologist who led the West Berlin student movement.
In 1968, Darendorf was elected to the parliament of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Politics put forward by the liberals. However, he soon abandoned the mandate on his own, becoming a member of the Bundestag - the German Federal Parliamentary Assembly.
In the government of Willy Brandt, Darendorf served as parliamentary secretary of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1970, he moved to Brussels as Commissioner of the European Economic Society. He was in charge of world and European trade, as well as international relations.
Scientific and teaching work
In 1974 he moved away from politics and public life, concentrating on scientific and teaching work. He became the head of the School of Economics in London, where he worked for 10 years. Then he worked for two years at the University of Konstanz, after - in New York. From 1987 to 1989, he directed as a rector at Oxford University College. At the same time, he also held the post of vice-rector of the university.
In 1982, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. For British citizens, this equates to a noble title. Since 1988, he accepted English citizenship, was promoted to life for peers and received a baronial title in the London district of Westminster.
Until 1987, he headed the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, associated with the Free Democratic Party of Germany. Having become a British citizen, he joined the Liberal Democratic Party - the third British political force.
In 1989, the philosopher Darendorf Ralph received the Sigmund Freud Prize. His scientific works were appreciated. In 1997, he won the Theodor Hoyce Prize, the commission noted his humanitarian and socio-political work.
Work in the Nauman Foundation
Today, the Naumann Foundation operates in more than 60 countries around the world. Mainly in the states of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. The headquarters is located in Potsdam at Truman's villa.
The main themes of the foundation that Darendorf promoted are freedom, property, civil society and the rule of law.
Its main goals are to strengthen civil society. This is achieved, first of all, by a certain influence on the level of discussion in society. It is also accompanied by democratic and macroeconomic processes through cooperation with institutes and research centers.
Scientific works
The philosopher Darendorf Ralph, whose biography is closely connected with modern science, is well known as a researcher in the theory of social conflict. The scientist notes that conflict is inevitable in any management system.
The basis of social conflict, in his opinion, lies in different social positions of different people. Some have power and the ability to control, while most have no such privileges. The consequence of this confrontation is the aggravation of internal contradictions in society, ”notes Darendorf.
Injustice arises during the final distribution of power, this is especially pronounced if there is no working vertical social elevator in society.
How to deal with conflicts in society?
Darendorf believes that it is possible to solve the problem of social conflicts in society. Moreover, they need to be regulated and redirected in the right direction. The main role in this is assigned to special public institutions, which need to develop an appropriate sequence of actions for each of the parties.
There are several points in resolving a social conflict. The first step is the recognition of self-interest by opposing groups. The second is unification. And the third and most important thing is the redistribution of power. The result of each conflict should be social social change.