Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin. Ascesa, declino e ritorno di un maestro del pensiero sociologico

Pitirim Aleksandrovich Sorokin is one of the most important sociologists of the XX Century. In spite of this, he has been almost forgot until the Nineties, when an academic debate about his thought started. Taking into consideration the growing interest in his works, this paper aims at offering a brief intellectual profile of Sorokin through linking his ‘long journey’ with his thought. The paper analyses the interconnection between Sorokin’s uncommon biography and his intellectual development, supporting the idea of continuity between his positivist phase and the “integralist” perspective of his late years. Besides, it focuses on the interconnection between philosophical integralism and Sorokin’s criticism of the academic social sciences. Secondly, the main contextual motivations of the revival involving Sorokin’s reflections are analysed. With this regard, the paper addresses the multifaceted ways of receiving his cultural heritage, particularly in Russia and in the United States. In conclusion, the article offers two possible issues of interest for contemporary social sciences learnt from Sorokin’s reflections