If we step back and consider the ideas of Ferdinand Tönnies from the perspective of an additional century of historical development, they remain remarkably fresh and useful. His description of two broad phases of historical development based on the presence of market society is popular again, while other popular theories such as the self-destruction of capitalism (Werner Sombart, Lenin), the decline of the West (Oswald Spengler), or the gradual replacement of markets by government planning (Joseph Schumpeter) seem more outdated even though they are more recent.