Sociology: Some Founding Fathers

Introduction
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
Max Weber (1864-1920)
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

Introduction

This post provides a brief introduction to early sociologists, whose contributions to sociology are enduring. Everyone wrote about the nature of human behavior. In a sense, they were trying to understand the profound changes in society.

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

the Department of Sociology. He tried to create a new science of society. which could not only explain humanity's past, but also predict its future course. He felt that society passes through definite and fixed stages and progresses towards ever greater perfection. According to him, the three phases in which the company moves were:

i) theological or religious
ii) the metaphysical or the philosophical
iii) the positive or scientific phase.

In the first phase. People believed that all phenomena were caused by supernatural forces. The source of knowledge in the second stage was seen as abstract forces of a religious or secular nature, in the last stage scientific laws were believed to decontaminate both the natural and the social world.

He also talked about two major areas - "Social Statistics" which deal with orderly and stable aspects of social life and patterns of behavior (family, work, community). Etc.). The second area, called "social dynamics", emphasizes the study of changes in a social system. According to him, sociology should become the queen of all sciences.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

Durkheim was also interested in the fact that sociology is a scientific discipline. In 1895 he wrote a book entitled: Rules of sociological method. For him, social solidarity was one of the most important principles of human life. He distinguished two types of solidarity: "mechanical solidarity" based on shared assumptions, beliefs and feelings, as found in traditional societies, and "organic solidarity", based on the division of labor and interests. interconnected, as found in industrial societies. . If solidarity is broken, there will be social disorganization and confusion in society. He believed that sociology had broad interests, including the sociology of religion, the sociology of knowledge, and the sociology of law. sociology of crime, economic sociology and sociology of education, art and aesthetics.

An important concept Durkheim emphasized was social facts, which he argued are external to the individual, but exert pressure on the individual in the pattern of behavior. Customs, traditions, folk customs and customs are social facts. He believed that sociology should be involved in the reform of society. For him, society was a reality in itself, that is to say, it is more than its parts.

Max Weber (1864-1920)

Weber used the concept of social action rather than social relations. For him, Max Weber's comprehensive study of social action meant understanding the meanings people give (1864-1920) to their pattern of behavior. Social behavior was not just a rote learning of norms, but also of how people interpreted social values. Sociology studies all types of social action without making value judgments.

Weber was concerned with understanding the interrelationships between parts of society and also with comparative studies of different societies. He studied religion in different societies. His work 011 Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism is one of the most famous works of sociology. Through both approaches, he has attempted to develop universally valid propositions. For example, he classified authority into three types: charismatic, traditional, and rational. These concepts are still used in the study of leadership authority and power.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

Marx through his ideas helped to understand the nature of society, especially Karl Marx how conflict arises. . Marx wrote in 1848 that all history is a history of classes and (1818-1883) of class struggle. Society is divided into oppressors and oppressed, masters and slaves, lords and servants, and in modern times capitalists and workers. To analyze the structure of society, it was necessary to understand the productive forces and the relations of production. The contradiction between the forces and the relations of production leads to class struggle. In his opinion, any society dies over time from internal conflicts and contradictions and is replaced by a higher one. In time, capitalism would be destroyed and a classless society would emerge characterized by the absence of conflict, exploitation and alienation from this world.

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

Spencer also emphasized a holistic view of society. According to him, the study of sociology Herbert Spencer includes the areas of family, politics, religion and social control, division of labor and (1820 - 1903) social stratification. He emphasized the study of the whole rather than the study of the parts. Individual institutions have important relationships. By studying these interrelationships, we can hope to understand society. He pointed out that the interdependence of the different parts is functional, that is, each of the parts performs different functions, which is necessary for the general well-being of society. Many "functionalist" sociologists use Spencer's idea of functional interdependence as the basis of their approach to the study of society. The above descriptions of the contributions of the founding fathers of sociology are sketchy. The main purpose is to introduce you to their names and give you an idea of their concerns in sociology.