College of the Social Sciences and Development

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology
The Key Sociological Thinkers

The Key Sociological Thinkers

Karl Marx (1818 - 1883)
Academic Training: Philosophy, Law, and Economics
Marx's thought demonstrates influences from many thinkers,
including but not limited to:

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's philosophy

The classical political economy (economics) of Adam
Smith and David Ricardo
French socialist thought, in particular the thought of
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Henri de Saint-Simon and
Charles Fourier
Earlier German philosophical materialism, particularly
that of Ludwig Feuerbach;
The working class analysis by Friedrich Engels.

Established the philosophical and political paradigm Dialectical

and Historical Materialism
Created an elaborate critique on modernity using empirical data
(see Das Kapital vol. I - III)
History is a result of structured and enduring class conflicts I.e., dominance and subordination relationships
in society.
The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.
Societies change via movements of economy (Mode of Production)
Emphasized on the role of the proletariat for social change
Stressed that as societies progress (via production processes) the more alienated man becomes
Capitalism suppresses humanity, drowning it in the icy waters of egotistical calculation
Highest stage of society is communism, whereas all forms of private property will be transformed into
collective ownership.
As societies progress man becomes estranged and unfamiliar with his whole species being. He becomes
more and more detached with the social world. This process is called alienation.
Since man is constantly tied to the drudgery of labor, he clings on life in capitalist societies and find the
meanings of his existence to the very products and commodities that produced his alienated condition.
(commodity fetishism)

College of the Social Sciences and Development

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology
The Key Sociological Thinkers

False consciousness is reinforced by systematic imposition of ideology.

Ideology

Are the ideas that reflect the interests of a particular class at a particular time in history, but which
contemporaries see as universal and eternal. Marx and Engels's point was not only that such
beliefs are at best half-truths; they serve an important political function. Put another way, the control
that one class exercises over the means of production includes not only the production of food or
manufactured goods; it includes the production of ideas as well (this provides one possible
explanation for why members of a subordinate class may hold ideas contrary to their own interests).

Religious distress was at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real
distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the
spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. Karl Marx, Contribution to the Critique of
Hegel's Philosophy of Right

Emile Durkheim (1858 - 1917)

Academic Training: Philosophy
Influenced by Comtes positivist philosophy
Considered by most scholars as the father of modern sociology
Used statistical methods in examining social phenomenon
Emphasized that the study of sociology should focus on social facts
Social facts

Social phenomena arising only in the creative association of

individuals. They are the values, cultural norms, and social
structures which transcend the individual and are capable of
exercising a social constraint. Can be both material (physical social
structures) and non-material (values, norms, and conceptually held
beliefs).

Society is held together by solidarity.

The totality of beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of a society forms a determinate
system with a life of its own. It can be termed the collective or creative consciousness.

Durkheims focus on solidarity is well manifested on his works (Suicide, 1897 and The Division of Labor in
Society,1893)

College of the Social Sciences and Development

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology
The Key Sociological Thinkers

Works:
The Division of Labor in Society (1893)
Mechanical Solidarity: Life is uniform, people are similar, and they share a common culture and sense of
morality. (e.g. rural communities)
Organic Solidarity: Division of labor is diverse, conflicting interests, common values might be present but
less obvious. High level of interdependence. (e.g. urban communities)

Growing division of labor in societies lead to anomie.

Suicide (1897)
Suicide is not an individual act. Suicide rates vary according to various changes in the social environment. It
is a social fact and it is sui generis.
The act of suicide is greatly influenced by changes in societys moral regulation and social integration
Types of Suicide

Altruistic suicide
Egoistic suicide
Fatalistic suicide
Anomic suicide

Max Weber (1864 -1920)

Academic Training: Law, economics, philosophy, and history
Weber's thinking was strongly influenced by German idealism and
particularly by neo-Kantianism, to which he had been exposed through
Heinrich Rickert.
In studying society, one must understand the subjective meanings
people attach to their actions
Developed a sociology which is interpretive and value free
We should take account peoples emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and
attitudes.
Key conceptual tool in understanding social phenomenon: Ideal type
Ideal type is a construct, a model that serves as a measuring rod
against which actual cases can be evaluated

College of the Social Sciences and Development

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology
The Key Sociological Thinkers

Work/s:
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904, 1905)
Webers study that examines the relationship of religious ideas to economic activity
According to the new Protestant religion, having more hard earned cash is an indicator of Gods blessings.
Protestant sects (such as Lutheranism and Calvinism) follow the virtue of asceticism, I.e., hard earned
money should not be used for dissipation.
Charity encourages laziness and it prolongs poverty and suffering.
Calvinist notion of predestination
Reformation greatly affected the worldview of work.
Ideal type and embodiment of capitalist ethos: Benjamin Franklin
Weber also emphasized on the importance of rationality in the modern world-- that is, the modern world is
organized in more formal, legal, and predictable ways.

College of the Social Sciences and Development

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology
The Key Sociological Thinkers

Rationalization

Refers to the replacement of traditions, values, and emotions as motivators for behavior in society
with rational, calculated ones. For example, the implementation of bureaucracies in government is a
kind of rationalization, as is the construction of high-efficiency living spaces in architecture and
urban planning.

Criticizes bureaucracy, for it traps man into an iron cage

Weber believed that even in progressive societies (such as Socialist and Communist societies) man would
eventually fall into the iron cage due to rationalization.
Types of Authority
Traditional
Traditional authority is legitimated by the sanctity of tradition. The ability and right to rule is passed down,
often through heredity. It does not change overtime, does not facilitate social change, tends to be irrational
and inconsistent, and perpetuates the status quo.
Charismatic
Charismatic authority is found in a leader whose mission and vision inspire others. It is based upon the
perceived extraordinary characteristics of an individual. Weber saw a charismatic leader as the head of a
new social movement, and one instilled with divine or supernatural powers, such as a religious prophet.

Legal Rational
Legal-rational authority is empowered by a formalistic belief in the content of the law (legal) or natural law
(rationality). Obedience is not given to a specific individual leader - whether traditional or charismatic - but a
set of uniform principles.