The Rules of Sociological Method: And Selected Texts on Sociology and Its Method

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Simon and Schuster, Feb 25, 2014 - Philosophy - 288 pages
Revised for the first time in over thirty years, this edition of Emile Durkheim’s masterful work on the nature and scope of sociology is updated with a new introduction and improved translation by leading scholar Steven Lukes that puts Durkheim’s work into context for the twenty-first century reader.

The Rules of Sociological Method represents Emile Durkheim’s manifesto for sociology. He argues forcefully for the objective, scientific, and methodological underpinnings of sociology as a discipline and establishes guiding principles for future research.

The substantial new introduction by leading Durkheim scholar Steven Lukes explains and sets into context Durkheim’s arguments. Lukes examines the still-controversial debates about The Rules of Sociological Method’s six chapters and explains their relevance to present-day sociology. The edition also includes Durkheim’s subsequent thoughts on method in the form of articles, debates with scholars from other disciplines, and letters. The original translation has been revised and reworked in order to make Durkheim’s arguments clearer and easier to read.

This is an essential resource for students and scholars hoping to deepen their understanding of one of the pioneering voices in modern sociology and twentieth-century social thought.
 

Contents

Preface to the Second Edition 1901
6
Introduction
18
Rules for the Observation of Social Facts
29
Rules for the Distinction of the Normal from
50
Rules for the Constitution of Social Types
69
Rules for the Explanation of Social Facts
78
Rules for the Demonstration of Sociological Proof
101
Conclusion
111
The Materialist Conception of History
123
Sociology and the Social Sciences 1903
130
Debate on the Relationship Between Ethnology and Sociology
158
Debate on Political Economy and Sociology 1908
174
The Contribution of Sociology to Psychology and Philosophy
180
Letters about
191
Index
201
Copyright

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About the author (2014)

Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) was a French sociologist who formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science.

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