Norbert Elias: Figuration As a Solution of Problem of Society of Individuals

One of the questions that Norbert Elias tries to resolve in his work - either explicitly or implicitly - is the issue of the relationship between the individual and society. Elias critically assesses two resolutions to this issue that sociology offered in his time, namely the Weberian conception of individualism that postulates the human individual as the starting point of sociological thought, and the Durkheimian concept of holism, which considered society as a whole as the starting point, giving regard to holistic, supra-individual social facts. Elias considers both of these solutions one-sided and unsatisfactory, and in his conception tries to supercede them. His strategy is close to that of Georg Simmel before him. It consists in highlighting the "third" that lies between the individual and society, which connects them. Simmel calls this "third" "Wechselwirkung". Elias speaks about ''figuration''. In this paper, we consider how successful Elias´ strategy is, its positives and its shortcomings.