A new translation and introduction make this classic of social and political theory readily accessible.

General introduction; Chronology of Tönnies' life and career; Community and Civil Society; Tönnies' Preface to the first edition of 1887; 1.1. A general classification of key ideas; 1.2. Theory of Gesellschaft; 2.1. The forms of human will; 2.2. Explanation of the dichotomy; 3.1. The sociological basis of natural law; 3.2. Definitions and propositions; 3.3. The natural element in law; Conclusions and future prospects.