Classical Sociological Theory

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. 

Craig Calhoun is University Professor of Social Sciences at Arizona State University, USA. He was previously Director of the London School of Economics and President of the Social Science Research Council. His most recent book is Degenerations of Democracy (with Dilip Gaonkar and Charles Taylor).

Joseph Gerteis is Professor of Sociology and co-Principal Investigator of the American Mosaic Project at the University of Minnesota, USA. He is author of Class and the Color Line, and his research focuses on race, ethnicity, social boundaries and identities, and political culture.

James Moody is Professor of Sociology at Duke University, USA, and Director of the Duke Network Analysis Center. He has published widely in the fields of social networks, methods, and social theory. His work focuses on the network foundations of social cohesion and diffusion, with an emphasis on tools and methods for understanding dynamic social networks.

Steven Pfaff is Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, USA. He is the author of several books, including Exit-Voice Dynamics and the Collapse of East Germany and The Genesis of Rebellion. His research focuses on religion, politics and social change.

Indermohan Virk is Executive Director of the Patten Foundation and the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at Indiana University Bloomington, USA. She works in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs.

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

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