Die Weltgesellschaft in der Perspektive der Zivilisationstheorie

The Civilizing Process Theory emphasizes the process character of society and individuals. This leads to a better understanding for the globalization as a realistic process instead of only a normative project. The concepts like power balance (as the deciding mechanism in a process) serve as useful tools in analysing the globalization. Secondly, the multi-level and multi-dimensional design in the Civilizing Process Theory helps to form a new precise framework for the scientific investigation. The globalization should be treated as a multi-dimensional phenomenon on a single level, namely the global one. For an overall view at the related processes, another concept, the world society including all levels, would be a more suitable framework. Two subject areas would be discussed: the development and the society. The reason to discuss development is twofold: (1) to interpret the general development as process and the modelling mechanism in the forming of the directions of developments and (2) to examine the national development in context of modernization and globalization and the relationship between the levels and dimensions by introducing the concepts of modelling process and overlapping process. By dealing with the area of society, it should be indicated that there are hidden society- and individual-images behind many theories concerning the globalization. It is necessary to examine these images with the clarification of the thesis “the society of individuals” of the Civilizing Process Theory, because it helps to get a better understanding, not only for a sociology of globalization, but also for a global sociology.