VOLUME: 1 linear foot

ACCESS: This collection is open to the public upon request. 

COPYRIGHT: Please consult the archivist for information about duplication or publishing of any materials from this collection.


Biographical Note
Gert Mueller was born in Dresden, Germany on July, 7 1922. He served in the German military during World War II and was a prisoner of war in Russia, where he learned Russian and was exposed to Marxism. After his release in 1949, Mueller studied at the Free University Berlin in West Berlin and in Munich, where he eventually completed his PhD. His diverse interests included Greek, Slavic studies, history, sociology, political science and philosophy. Mueller was inspired by Marx and interested in developing history as a strict science, but encountered opposition from the neo-Kantian Baden school and decided to pursue sociology instead. After graduation Mueller became took state exams to qualify to teach history, French, current affairs, and philosophy in secondary school. Mueller taught high school in Germany and Portugal for a few years and then devoted time to independent study. In 1966, Mueller accepted a position teaching German and Russian at the University of Pittsburgh. While there he rekindled his interest in sociology, philosophy and history. He moved to the Department of Sociology as an assistant professor after two years. During this time, Mueller created tables and charts to go along with his lectures because he felt he was not explaining the theories adequately in English. In 1973, he joined the faculty of American University as an associate professor. He was elevated to the rank of professor in 1980 and became an emeritus professor in 1991.


Scope and Content Note
This collection consists mainly of unpublished manuscripts written by Gert Mueller between 1954 and 2003. In addition, there are articles and notes relating to influential sociologists such as Émile Durkheim, a copy of Mueller’s curriculum vitae, a list of publications and presentations, and a collection of tables and charts authored by him. Some materials are in German.


Provenance
This collection was donated to American University Archives by Gert Mueller in October, 2009.


Box and Folder Listing
Box 1
Manuscripts:
    Entwurf zu einer Arbeit über Logik, Denkformen und Metaphysik, 1954
    Häresien zur Protestantischen Ethik, 1972-1973
    Heresies about the Protestant Ethic, 3/1974
    The Logical Foundations of Social Theory, 3/16/1984
    Systems, Fields and Structures, 7/13/1984
    Marxism and Functionalism, 7/27/1984
    The Analytical Foundations of Sociology, 7/29/1984
    The Logical Foundations of Theoretical Sociology, 9/15/1984 (?)
    Marx and Weber. Weber’s Protestant Ethic: The Attempt to Refute Marx, 12/21/1984
    The Mind and Society, 4/20/1985
    Fundamentals of Sociological Theory, 1/31/1991 (2 folders)
    Sociology as a Rigorous Science, 7/6/1991
    What Sociological Theory Is, 4/3/1992
    The Axes of Sociological Theory, 8/24/1994
    Systems, Fields and Functions, 8/15/1996
    Social Architectonics, 8/16/1996
    The Functions of Logic, 5/31/2003
    From Structuralism to Pragmatism, undated
    The Functions of Logic, undated
    New Essays on Analytical Sociology, undated
    Sociology and Ontology, undated
    Sociology as a Strict Science, undated
    Tables and Charts from Manuscripts, undated
Notes:
    Notes on Louis Althusser, 1974-1979
    Notes on Wilhelm Dilthey, 1988
    Notes on Émile Durkheim, 1975-1984
    Notes on Talcott Parsons, 1970-1980
    Miscellaneous articles with notes, undated
Other:
    Curriculum Vitae and Biographical Information, 1975-1992
    List of Publications, Papers and Presentations, 1992
    Tables, 1970-1980