Sociological theory : classical statements / David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface vii
Ideology, History, and Classical Sociological Theory
1 (28)
The Rise of Sociology
1 (2)
Sociology as Science and as Value-Orienting Critique
3 (2)
The Institutionalization of Sociology
5 (2)
Enlightenment Philosophy and Classical Sociological Theory
7 (3)
Social Evolutionism and Classical Sociological Theory
10 (4)
Sociology and Problems of Modernity
14 (2)
France: Revolution and Collectivism
16 (2)
Germany: Disunity and Idealism
18 (1)
Italy: City-States and Machiavellianism
19 (1)
Britain: Industrialization and Utilitarianism
20 (2)
The United States: Expansion and Voluntarism
22 (1)
Non-European Anticipations of Sociology: Sun-Tzu and Ibn Khaldun
23 (2)
The Influence of Class, Race, and Gender on Classical Sociological Thought
25 (4)
The Nature and Types of Sociological Theory
29 (16)
Theory and Social Life
29 (3)
Positivism
32 (4)
Interpretive Theory
36 (2)
Critical Theory
38 (2)
Sociology and the Causality of Fate
40 (1)
Concluding Remarks
41 (4)
(Isidore) Auguste Marie Francois-Xavier Comte
45 (32)
Background
45 (8)
Ideas
53 (13)
Significance
66 (11)
(David) Emile Durkheim
77 (36)
Background
77 (9)
Ideas
86 (12)
Significance
98 (15)
Herbert Spencer
113 (40)
Background
113 (12)
Ideas
125 (16)
Significance
141 (12)
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
153 (32)
Background
153 (9)
Ideas
162 (10)
Significance
172 (13)
Karl Marx
185 (36)
Background
185 (10)
Ideas
195 (13)
Significance
208 (13)
Max Weber
221 (38)
Background
221 (11)
Ideas
232 (13)
Significance
245 (14)
Georg Simmel
259 (30)
Background
259 (8)
Ideas
267 (12)
Significance
279 (10)
Sigmund Freud
289 (32)
Background
289 (8)
Ideas
297 (10)
Significance
307 (14)
Vilfredo Pareto
321 (30)
Background
321 (8)
Ideas
329 (12)
Significance
341 (10)
Thorstein Bunde Veblen
351 (36)
Background
351 (8)
Ideas
359 (12)
Significance
371 (16)
George Herbert Mead
387 (40)
Background
387 (13)
Ideas
400 (14)
Significance
414 (13)
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
427 (38)
Background
427 (10)
Ideas
437 (11)
Significance
448 (17)
The Paradoxical Failure of Classical Sociological Theory: A Concluding Essay
465 (16)
Classical Sociological Theory: The Heritage
465 (2)
The Contemporary Appropriation of Classical Theory
467 (2)
Classical Sociological Theory and Contemporary Academic Sociology
469 (7)
Sociology and Postmodernity
476 (3)
Concluding Remarks
479 (2)
Name Index 481

Each chapter focuses on one theorist and his ideas, organized into a social and historical perspective. Students will enjoy reading the background information on each theorist covered in the book. These include such interesting highlights as Comte's days in military school, the death of Durkheim's son in World War I, Spencer's inability to commit to marriage, and Hegel's illegitimate son. Taking a critical and reflexive approach, the text also discusses how classical theory affects sociology today.