German Edition of Pierre Bourdieu's Writings

A new edition of Pierre Bourdieus’ works presents all theoretical writings and empirical studies in a fundamentally thematic structure for the first time. Published in German by UVK and Suhrkamp, the series of fourteen volumes edited by Franz Schultheis and Stephan Egger aims towards a comprehensive compendium of the scope of Bourdieu’s scientific enterprise.

Pierre Bourdieu is already considered one of the great classics of sociological thought. The many books published, of which not only Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste became world famous, and a number of essays and lectures hardly to overlook give his work impressive proportions. Add to this vast scope the range of objects Bourdieu has given prevalence over the years: from a sociology of education, art and literature, government, politics and economics to language and religion. However, crucial for the broad range of the work remains the fact that there exists along the otherwise rare empirical saturation of the materials a permanent closure of the significant theoretical approach to the social world, that unfolds an almost suggestive force: no one who only knows a few of the works of Bourdieu, can not escape the impression that with this, significant questions of the human sciences are brought together in a unique way.

This impression is also the result from a very special way of working. Bourdieu proceeds from the beginning empirically and theoretically “recursive”, his research circles its subjects again and again from different perspectives and at different points of the development of his work, thus assuring – in an unusual reflexivity to its own premises – its progressive realization gains. Not only his major monographs, but also the cross-referential single writings and studies are marking crucial stages of this development.

The UVK Publishing Company therefore offers in cooperation with Suhrkamp Publishing a series designed to fourteen volumes, to provide a comprehensive overview of Bourdieus writings. However, given the enormous productivity of the author, this editorial approach can only be accomplished through conscious self-restraint: eliding the political interventions, interviews and unedited lectures, the edition presents all theoretical writings and empirical studies in a fundamentally thematic structure. Specifying Bourdieu’s dense referential connections between the respective subject areas is one of the tasks of each of the volumes accompanying comments. The series will conclude with a bibliography and an index volume. Its result will not so much be a critical edition, but a comprehensive compendium of an epochal scientific enterprise as a work in progress.



The Edition

  1. Soziologie. Schriften zur Theorie der Sozialwissenschaften 
  2. Tradition und Reproduktion. Schriften zur kollektiven Anthropologie
  3. Habitus und Praxis. Schriften zur sozialen Physik 1
  4. Klassen und Klassifikationen. Schriften zur sozialen Physik 2
  5. Sozialer Raum und symbolische Macht. Schriften zur sozialen Physik 3
  6. Staat. Schriften zur Politischen Ökonomie 1
  7. Politik. Schriften zur Politischen Ökonomie 2
  8. Ökonomie. Schriften zur Politischen Ökonomie 3
  9. Sprache. Schriften zur Kultursoziologie 1
  10. Bildung. Schriften zur Kultursoziologie 2
  11. Wissenschaft. Schriften zur Kultursoziologie 3
  12. Kunst und Kultur. Schriften zur Kultursoziologie 4
  13. Religion. Schriften zur Kultursoziologie 5
  14. Register
  15. Bibliographie