Intellectual Forces in

the Development of
Sociological Thinking

GROUP 2

Mhary Bue John Carlo Empuesto

Janesa Cabillo Princess Pagasian
Christian Santos Ken Sevidal
Cedric Cusap Erica Tividad
Leonel Millado Ruth Cabanlig
Jobet Ricafrente Jirah Vergara
Duane Parco Fujiyasu Ishii
 THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT

 The most important intellectual breakthrough in

the human philosophical thinking.
 It helped the modern world in shaping the
intellectual influence.
 It opened the door for the modern world. It’s an
intellectual movement that believes in the
capability of human reason to explore the world
and universal laws that is applicable to the lives of
people.
 RATIONAL PHILOSOPHERS

Rene John Lock David

Descartes Hume
 Conservatism as a Reaction to the
Enlightenment

 Not everyone was delighted with the seeming glory of

the enlightenment project.
 Some view that the enlightenment movement brought
too much radicalism that overshadowed the need for
moral principles guided by religious traditions.
 It brought many ideal changes in the life of mankind
but many conservatives still think that the rationalism
through the enlightenment is a kind of a double-edged
sword.
 It can solidify our human rationalism but it can also
undermine another side of humanity which is the
adherence to moral and religious values.
 Development of French Sociology

 The manner by which society has been

studied was brought by the French
philosophers into a different level. We can
see in their socio-political theories the
influence of both enlightenment ideas and
anti-enlightenment sentiments.
Claude Henri Saint-Simon (1760-1825)

•He was influential to both

enlightenment and
conservative movement.
•He wanted to change the
radical society brought about
by the enlightenment.
•He was considered by
Durkheim as a son of the
positivist movement influenced
by enlightenment.
•He influenced Karl Marx.
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

 Comte was often times quoted

as the father of sociology
since he was the first one to use
the term sociology to refer to
the scientific study of sociology.
 He and Saint-Simon developed
a close relationship before
things began to taste bitter
between them.
 He was greatly influenced by
the many ideas of Saint-Simon.
 He was also againts the radical
provisions of the enlightenment
project.
Émile Durkheim
(15 April 1858 – 15 November 1917)

• Forerunner of French sociology

• His works not only dominated the
French sociology but the
development of sociology in general.
• He believed that the social setting
of the industrial revolution must be
reformed.
• He despised the chaos brought
about by and demonstration that
were done by the lower classes in
protest againts the imperial
dominance of the higher class.
 German Sociology

 German Sociology was unlike French sociology in

many ways. One of its main differences is the
diversity of sociological philosophy that be leaguered
the development of mainstream sociology both in the
German locale and the entirety of Europe.
 G.W.F Hegel
(Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel)

 One of the intellectual giants

in the history of German
philosophy
 Influenced many thinkers
specially Karl Marx
 His main Philosophy utilized
the concept of dialectic and
idealism
Dialectic –It views the world as a
world that is not static but full of
dynamism and keenness
Idealism – Philosophical thinking
which regards the realm of ideas to be
more important compared to the realm
of materialism
Ludwig Feuerbach

 He was greatly influenced by Hegelian

philosophy

 He developed his own sociological

philosophy which was againts the idealism
of Hegel.

 He claimed that human being should be

the center of sociological inquiry and
not God because people are
considered to be more real compared
to just mere ideas.

 He served as the bridge between Hegelian

idealistic philosophy and Marxian material
Philosophy.
Karl Marx

•One of the most influential sociologist who

ever lived. He did not only influenced the
German Sociology but the entirety of the
sociology as well.

•His ideas are mostly centered about the

capitalism to the industrialized world.

•He believed that by nature, man has the

natural talent to creatively for himself.

•He believed that socialism must be the right

form of socio-economic and socio-political
structuring of the society.
 He had great contributions to the development of
sociological theory.
 He is focused on the idea of rationalization. He
was so curious to know why rationalization was so
rampant in the western world but not so in the
other regions of the world.
 One of the main reason why rationalization worked
for the west is its religion.
 British Sociology

 Political Economy

 BritishSociologist were different from

the contention of Marx.
 Marx considered the free market as
an obstacle. But for british sociologist
they were more concerned as to the
good effects of a capitalistic state.
 They believe in the idea of Adam Smith
“invisible hand”
 Ameliorism

 Strives to solve social problems by reforming the

individual.
 This sociological viewpoint puts emphasis on
the individual rather than the society.
 Points out the problems of the individual that needs
to be reformed.
 Example of individual problem that could affect the
society is ignorance.
 Social Evolution

 Evolutionary way of thinking was predominant in

the 19th century.
 This can be seen in the ideas of Herbert Spencer. He
related the idea of Darwinian Evolution to the
society.
 The society just like all animals and man are
evolving in natural process.
 According to Herbert, the society is evolving in a
progressive way , which means that the society is
changing for the better.
 Italian Sociology

 Vilfredo Pareto attracted the

attention in the early 20th century.
He was an Italian Sociologist and
economist.
 He concentrated on how to refute
Marx’s ideas.
 He believed that non-rational
principles such as instincts were so
power that it can create a social
change.
Elitist theory of social movement
 He introduced he Elitist theory of
– in that theory the elites played a vital
role in changing the structure of the
social Movement.
society. It is the completely reverse of
Marxian theory.