Edward Shils

Edward Albert Shils ( born July 1, 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, † January 23, 1995 in Chicago ) was a US- American sociologist and translator among other things, the work of Max Weber and Karl Mannheim.

In collaboration with Talcott Parsons Shils made ​​known in the U.S. the work of Max Weber. As a scientist, he worked all his life at the University of Chicago, where he eventually became Professor of Sociology studied and obtained assistance.

Influenced by Max Weber, Shils has been particularly concerned with issues of cultural sociology. In particular, Shils was the concept of tradition as an underrated sociological basic concept. The huge estate outsourced to the University of Chicago, but is unpublished. Despite its limited visibility, he received the 1983 Balzan Prize for its pioneering and unique contribution to contemporary sociology.