Soci250 -- Sociological Theory - Module 1 -- Overview of Classical ...
Transcript of Soci250 -- Sociological Theory - Module 1 -- Overview of Classical ...
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