A world-class introduction to the historical and continuing impact of classical theory on sociological debate
The latest edition of Classical Sociological Theory offers students a definitive guide to the theoretical foundations of sociology and the continuing impact of the ideas explored by early theorists, including Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Mead, Simmel, Freud, Du Bois, Adorno, Marcuse, Parsons, and Merton. The prestigious editors have integrated several readings on the most influential theories arising out of the Enlightenment era and the work of de Tocqueville.
Readers are introduced to seminal works in classical sociological theory by way of editorial introductions that lend historical and intellectual perspective to the included readings. The readings themselves have been selected based on their combinations of theoretical sophistication and accessibility. From analyses of self and society to examinations of critical theory and structural-functional analysis, Classical Sociological Theory remains the gold standard in classical theory readers.
The Fourth Edition of this widely taught book includes:
- Selections that trace the history of classical sociological theory, from its undisciplined roots to its modern influence on contemporary sociological debate
- Readings describing the “pre-history” of sociology, including ideas from the Enlightenment and de Tocqueville
- Editorial introductions that place selected works firmly in their intellectual, philosophical, and historical contexts for the benefit of the student
- A distinguished and scholarly team of editors with a wide and deep range of expertise
Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students of social and sociological theory, Classical Sociological Theory is also a thought-provoking resource ideal for use in courses taught in human geography, anthropology, criminology, and urban studies programs.
Table of Contents
Notes on the Editors ix
Acknowledgments xi
General Introduction 1
Part I Precursors to Sociological Theory 25
Introduction to Part I 27
1 Of the Natural Condition and the Commonwealth (from Leviathan) 36
Thomas Hobbes
2 Of the Social Contract (from The Social Contract) 44
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
3 What is Enlightenment? (from Immanuel Kant, The Philosophy of Kant) 55
Immanuel Kant
4 The Wealth of Nations (from The Wealth of Nations) 60
Adam Smith
Part II Liberal Theories of Social Order 71
Introduction to Part II 73
5 Influence of Democracy on the Feelings of the Americans (from Democracy in America) 83
Alexis de Tocqueville
6 Tyranny of the Majority (from Democracy in America) 102
Alexis de Tocqueville
7 What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear (from Democracy in America) 112
Alexis de Tocqueville
8 Society in America (from Society in America) 118
Harriet Martineau
9 “A Belated Industry” 126
Jane Addams
10 Freedom in a Complex Society (from The Great Transformation) 133
Karl Polanyi
Part III The Sociological Theory of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels 141
Introduction to Part III 143
11 The German Ideology (from The German Ideology, Part One) 154
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
12 Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1884 (from Collected Works, Vol 3) 158
Karl Marx
13 Manifesto of the Communist Party (from Collected Works, Vol 6) 168
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
14 Wage-Labour and Capital (from Karl Marx: Selected Works) 183
Karl Marx
15 Classes (from Collected Works, Vol 37) 191
Karl Marx
16 The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof (from Capital, An Abridged Edition) 193
Karl Marx
17 The General Formula for Capital (from Capital, An Abridged Edition) 198
Karl Marx
Part IV The Sociological Theory of Emile Durkheim 203
Introduction to Part IV 205
18 The Rules of Sociological Method (from The Rules of Sociological Method) 211
Emile Durkheim
19 The Division of Labor in Society (from The Division of Labor in Society) 228
Emile Durkheim
20 The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (from Elementary forms of the Religious Life) 250
Emile Durkheim
21 Suicide (from Suicide: A Study in Sociology) 262
Emile Durkheim
Part V The Sociological Theory of Max Weber 271
Introduction to Part V 273
22 “Objectivity” in Social Science (from The Methodology of the Social Sciences) 279
Max Weber
23 Basic Sociological Terms (from The Theory of Social and Economic Organization) 286
Max Weber
24 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (from Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism with Other Writings on the Rise of the West) 296
Max Weber
25 The Distribution of Power within the Political Community: Class, Status, Party (from Max Weber: Essays in Sociology) 314
Max Weber
26 The Types of Legitimate Domination (from The Theory of Social and Economic Organization) 323
Max Weber
27 Bureaucracy (from Max Weber: Essays in Sociology) 331
Max Weber
Part VI Self and Society 341
Introduction to Part VI 343
28 The Self (from Mind, Self and Society: From the Standpoint of a Social Behaviorist) 348
George Herbert Mead
29 The Stranger (from Georg Simmel: On Individuality and Social Forms) 361
Georg Simmel
30 The Triad (from The Sociology of Georg Simmel) 366
Georg Simmel
31 The Metropolis and Mental Life (from Georg Simmel on Individuality and Social Forms) 372
Georg Simmel
32 The Souls of Black Folk (from The Souls of Black Folk) 381
W.E.B. Du Bois
33 The Damnation of Women (from W.E.B. Du Bois A Reader) 387
W.E.B. Du Bois
Part VII Critical Theory 397
Introduction to Part VII 399
34 Traditional and Critical Theory (from Critical Theory: Selected Essays) 406
Max Horkheimer
35 The Culture Industry (from The Dialectic of Enlightenment) 418
Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno
36 One-Dimensional Man (from One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society) 430
Herbert Marcuse
37 “Reflections on Violence” 438
Hannah Arendt
Part VIII Sociology of Knowledge 445
Introduction to Part VIII 447
38 Ideology and Utopia (from Ideology and Utopia) 451
Karl Mannheim
39 The Social Construction of Reality (from The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge) 462
Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann
40 The Phenomenology of the Social World (from The Phenomenology of the Social World) 471
Alfred Schutz
Part IX Functionalism 483
Introduction to Part IX 485
41 The Position of Sociological Theory (from The Position of Sociological Theory) 491
Talcott Parsons
42 Manifest and Latent Functions (from Social Theory and Social Structure) 498
Robert K. Merton
43 “Social Structure and Anomie” 505
Robert K. Merton
Part X Social Exchange 513
Introduction to Part X 515
44 Social Behavior as Exchange 520
George C. Homans
45 Exchange and Power in Social Life (from Exchange and Power in Social Life) 531
Peter M. Blau
Index 543
