Classical Sociology

Emergence and development of sociology

Theories of classical sociology are theories of large range ambition that were conceived in Europe in the early years of between 1800 and 1900’s. The study of such sociological classical theorists as Karl Max, Aguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Herbart Spencer, George Simmel, Vilfredo Pareta and Max Weber was vital in those time and they played such an important role in the subsequent sociology development. To add on to this, thesis theorist’s ideas continue to be significantly important to sociological theory today. The works of some of the most renowned and controversial social theorists are discussed below.

Max Weber

Max weber conceived sociology as a comprehensive or exhaustive science of social activity.

He agreed with Karl Max that possession of labour or capital detached the two major divisions of society. He established that in the modern society, social inequality was more perplexing.

Weber urged that social power difference which is the amount of respect an individual has are vital aspects that cause inequality in the modern society. He contradicted with Max in the issue of political power. Weber believed that the modern society was dominated by capital owners and also individuals with political power

In the issue of bureaucracy and rationality, he urged that the modern society can be distinguished from the earlier periods by how they feel, think and operate. Bureaucracy is a vital tool in perpetuating and creating modern society. He urged that bureaucrization has led to depersolization of the modern world (Coser, 217-233)

Karl Max

Karl Maxs’s perception of society was briefed by his obsession with the conflicts among social classes in dynamic social structures and the consecutive relations. He was a theoretician, socialist as well as an organizer. He is seen as a great figure in philosophical, economical and sociological history of

Comte developed a kind of empiricism which he named positivism. The idea states that rights of individuals are vital than the rule of no one. Auguste urges that humanity can comfortably be in a position to govern itself. He considered that social institutions such as language, division of labour and religion largely contributed to the broader social order.

Auguste Comte unlike other enlightened thinkers, he believed that a society develops in three distinctive phases called ‘the laws of three stages’. These three stages are metaphysical, theological and positive phases.

The theological phase of man is planted on his belief in everything with a hint or mention of God. Mankind’s place in society was dictated by his association with the church and divine presence. This phase deals with mankind’s acceptance of church doctrines and not querying the world.

The metaphysical phase states that the rights of humanity are vital. The main idea is that man is born with certain rights. These rights are respected and cannot or should not be taken away from an individual. With this theory in mind, many dictators and democracies have fallen in an attempt to manage the human rights (Coser,