author
Franz Oppenheimer
1864–1943
A doctor turned sociologist and political economist, he explored how states, power, and economic life shape one another. His work ranged from critiques of coercion to ideas about liberal socialism and cooperative settlement.
1 Audiobook
The State: Its History and Development Viewed Sociologically
by Franz Oppenheimer
About the author
Born in Berlin in 1864, Franz Oppenheimer first trained as a physician before turning toward sociology, economics, and social reform. He practiced medicine for several years, then devoted himself to writing and teaching about the origins of the state, social inequality, and the economic conditions that could support a freer and fairer society.
Oppenheimer became known for his studies of political economy and the sociology of the state, and he also took part in debates around Zionism and cooperative settlement. He taught at universities including Frankfurt, and his ideas reached well beyond his own field, influencing later discussions of social policy, liberal socialism, and the relationship between power and economic exchange.
As a Jewish intellectual, he was among the scholars whose work was suppressed under the Nazi regime. He eventually left Germany and spent his final years in the United States, where he died in Los Angeles in 1943. His life joined scholarship, public debate, and a lasting effort to imagine social systems less dependent on force and privilege.