Soci250 – Sociological TheoryModule 1 – Overview of Classical Sociological Theory

François Nielsen

University of North CarolinaChapel Hill

Spring 2007

Outline

Main Themes

Social & historical forces

Intellectual forces

Classical Sociological Theory in Europe

Main Themes

É Early (19th century) sociological theory developed largely inEurope

É Out of powerful social-historical and intellectual forcesÉ Largely independent development in France, Germany,

England, and Italy

Social & historical forcesIndustrial Revolution, capitalism & large-scale markets

É IR begins in England ca 1750É quickly diffuses to continentÉ use of machines powered by inanimate forms of energyÉ decline of rural population & rise of urban populationÉ distinction community vs. association or civil society

Social & historical forcesFrench Revolution & aftermath

É French Revolution 1789É followed by French 1st Empire (Napoleon)É radical break with the pastÉ consciousness of unprecedented change (-> Hegel)É issue of social order (-> Comte, Durkheim, Parsons)

Social & historical forcesGeorg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 1770–1831

Social & historical forcesRise of modern states, nationalism & civil society

É French Revolution -> idea of State & Society as distinctÉ civil society as “society that [is] a free product of relations

among private persons” (Calhoun et al)É society intermediate between State and individualsÉ -> Tocqueville discovers autonomy of StateÉ idea of Nation

Social & historical forcesLiberty Leading the People, Eugène Delacroix 1833

Social & historical forcesEuropean expansion

É after 1500É another wave of colonialism / imperialism ca 1860 to WWIÉ discovery of other cultures / racesÉ -> Montesquieu & “the spirit behind laws”É -> idea of social evolution (Herbert Spencer)

Intellectual forcesProtestant Reformation & rise of individualism

É Protestant Reformation -> people can read Bible forthemselves

É individual relationship with GodÉ notion of “free examination” vs. religious dogmaÉ transferred to secular context as freedom of enquiryÉ -> social order chosen -> social contractÉ -> Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Intellectual forcesRise of socialism

É “Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or politicalmovements that envisage a socio-economic system in whichproperty and the distribution of wealth are subject to socialcontrol.” (Wikipedia after Encyclopedia Britannica)

É predates Marx (early 19th century British & French thinkersRobert Owen, Charles Fourier, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, LouisBlanc, Saint-Simon)

É advocate egalitarian distribution of wealth, smallcommunities, private property to be abolished

É Karl Marx later becomes principal theoretician of socialism

Intellectual forcesScience & the Enlightenment

É period of intellectual development & change in philosophicaloutlook

É Rousseau, Voltaire, Diderot, Montesquieu, DalambertÉ emphasis on

É reason (rational discourse)É empirical data

É big project EncyclopédieÉ also Scottish Enlightenment(ca 1730–1800) & Jewish

Enlightenment (Haskalah, late 1700s)

Intellectual forcesConservative reaction to Enlightenment

É thesis of Irving Zeitlin (controversial)É French Catholic reaction against

É EnlightenmentÉ French Revolution ideasÉ modernism

É ideas influence French sociological theory:É society greater than individualsÉ society as system of interdependent partsÉ need for social hierarchy

Intellectual forcesDevelopment of political economy

É Adam Smith (1776)É mechanisms of supply & demand as Invisible HandÉ “model” of successful empirical-deductive social scienceÉ model of system of parts

Intellectual forcesFeminism

É early notions of equality of men & women inÉ French Revolution (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)É Austrian family Law (18th century)É Napoleon Code (early 19th century)

É little influence on early sociological theory

Classical Sociological Theory in EuropeOverview

Classical Sociological Theory in EuropeFrance

É Claude Henri Saint-Simon (1760–1825)É Auguste Comte (1798–1857)É Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)

Classical Sociological Theory in EuropeGermany

É Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)É Ludwig Feuerbach (1804–1872)É Karl Marx (1818–1883)É Max Weber (1864–1920)É Georg Simmel (1858–1918)

Classical Sociological Theory in EuropeGreat Britain

É Adam Smith (1723–1790)É Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)

Classical Sociological Theory in EuropeItaly

É Vilfredo Pareto (1848–1923)É generally underratedÉ standard treatments misleadingÉ work has great importance for

É economicsÉ sociologyÉ social science methodology