Rudi Supek facts for kids
Rudi Supek was a Croatian thinker, born in Zagreb on April 8, 1913. He was a sociologist and a philosopher. He was also part of a group of thinkers called the Praxis School of Marxism. He passed away in Zagreb on January 2, 1993.
Supek studied philosophy in Zagreb and finished his studies in 1937. He then went to Paris to study clinical psychology. While he was there, World War II began. He joined the resistance movement to fight against the occupation. He was captured and sent to a camp called Buchenwald concentration camp. Even there, he took part in the Buchenwald Resistance movement.
After the war ended and he was freed, Supek went back to Paris. He continued his life and studies there. In 1948, there was a political disagreement between Josip Broz Tito's Yugoslavia and other communist leaders. The leader of the French Communists, Maurice Thorez, asked Supek to speak against Tito. Supek was a member of the French Communist Party, but he refused to do this. Instead, he decided to return to Yugoslavia. However, he did not join the Communist Party in Yugoslavia.
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Rudi Supek's Academic Journey
Supek earned his PhD from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1952. After that, he started working as a professor. He taught at the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. He also worked at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb.
In 1963, Supek started the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He became the first president of the Yugoslav Society of Psychologists. For some time, he was also the president of the Yugoslav Society of Sociologists.
His Work in Journals and Schools
Supek was the main editor of a journal called Pogledi (which means Viewpoints). This journal was published from 1952 to 1954. In 1964, Supek and some friends from the University of Zagreb started another important journal called Praxis. Supek was a co-editor of this journal from 1967 to 1973.
He also helped start and became the president of the Management Board for the Korčula Summer School. This was a special place where thinkers and scholars could meet and discuss ideas during the summer.
Rudi Supek Award
To honor Rudi Supek and his important work, the Croatian Sociological Association created an award in 2004. This award is called the Rudi Supek Award. It is given every year to people who have achieved great things in the field of sociology.
Major Books and Writings
Rudi Supek wrote many books and articles. His writings covered different topics, from sociology to psychology and philosophy. Here are some of his most important works:
- Existentialism and Decadence (1950)
- Sociology and Socialism (1962)
- Herbert Spencer and the Biologism in Sociology (1965)
- Humanist Intelligentsia and Politics (1969)
- Social Prejudices (1973)
- Participation, Workers’ Control and Self-management (1974)
- Living after History (1986)
