Russian-American sociologist. Pitirim Sorokin in the four-volume book Social and Cultural Dynamics (1937-1941) presents two opposing cultural types: „ideational“ and „sensate“. All cultures are on a continuum between these two extreme ideal types. In ideational cultures, the nature of reality is viewed in supra-empirical and supra-rational terms, and all knowledge is drawn from religious or similar sources. Needs and goals are also viewed in a spiritual and otherworldly context, meeting these needs should be complete, and the basic method of meeting needs and goals is by adapting oneself to religious or transcendental rules. Sensate cultures experience reality in the context of physical forces and material things. Goals and needs are material and are met to the maximum, and the main method of meeting these needs is through the manipulation of the physical environment.

The third ideal cultural type is located in the middle between the two previous extremes. Sorokin calls it an „idealistic“ or integral type, and it represents a harmonious synthesis of the previous two extremes, although, in this type, ethical rules are also derived from transcendental (religious) sources. Differences between the ideational and sensate types of cultures are visible in different aspects of culture, such as philosophy, law, art, etc.

In Social and Cultural Dynamics but also his other works, Sorokin expressed his fear of the decline of the sensate cultural aspect in modern culture. He saw that this is evident in many areas: art, ethical system, the system of universal truths, science, understanding of freedom, declining family ties, political system (where the minority exercises power without adequate control), increasing state of anomie, increasing conflicts and wars. He believed that the best solution for the decline of sensate culture is to increase altruistic love, which will give positive effects both on the social and individual levels. Altruistic love will contribute to increasing cooperation, mutual assistance, and creativity and create conditions for achieving social harmony. A fundamental change is needed at the level of society and culture, but it is necessary, first of all, to make a conscious and deliberate decision on the individual level to change consciousness, and with it the world.

The social sciences can provide knowledge to increase love by discovering the universal values ​​of truth, beauty, and goodness. The basic principle of sociology and its methodology, ontology, and epistemology should be "integralism", which will combine empirical, rational, and interpretive approaches. The basis of integralism is that reality contains empirical, rational, and supra-empirical elements and that each of these elements should be studied in order to create strong and creative sociology. The study of each element of reality requires a different approach, and the study of the supra-empirical element requires the use of religious and mystical intuition. Each approach is flawed if used alone, but by using all three approaches simultaneously, the real truth is revealed. Integralism unites scientific, philosophical, and religious knowledge, in order to provide the best means for discovering complete knowledge, but also to provide the best basis for the reform of society, culture, and personality.

Books: 

Sorokin.Social and Cultural Dynamics, 4 vols. (1937-1941);

- The Crisis of Our Age (1941);

- Man and Society in Calamity: The Effects of War, Revolution, Famine, Pestilence Upon Human Mind, Behavior, Social Organization and Cultural Life (1942);

- Sociocultural Causality, Space, Time: A Study of Referential Principles of Sociology and Social Science (1943);

- Culture, Society, and Personality (1947);

- The Ways and Power of Love (1954);

- Fads and Foibles in Sociology and Related Sciences (1956);

- Power and Morality: Who Shall Guard The Guardians? (1959).