Historical origins of sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Historical origins of sociology - Essay ExampleAuguste Comte responded to the aftermath of the French transformation and could see changes to society occurring with the coming of the Industrial Revolution. He is often credited as being the forefather of sociology. Comte sought to apply the scientific method and concepts of rationality which he defined as positivism to field of force human brotherly forms. The field of sociology was formalized in the modern period by such thinkers as Emile Durkheim, Max weber, and Karl Marx. East of these thinkers presented different theories that first sought to describe the way social and civic units were organized. These theories explained the grandness of certain habits such as religion, aggression, or the way work was organized. In the West, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx are seen as the founders of sociology as their theories, methods, and insights can still be used to understand and develop new concepts dealing with social phenomena forthwith ( Bilton et al, p. 5). But what is interesting is to raise the question did sociology exist even before these thinkers arrived on the scene. Or if it didnt, what did it slopped in other periods of history. Certainly there were thinkers who studied their societies at other periods of history, possibly in the equal way that current thinkers study their societies. One can imagine an advisor to an Egyptian pharaoh saying to the might that the poor community should be organized in such and such a way. He whitethorn say that they should be next to bodies of water and arid land and as well to a multitude community. He would explain to the kind that the people who are currently paying the most taxes are the affection class and that they even recognize their responsibilities more to this one god than this other god. The king would ask wherefore and the ancient Egyptian sociologist would then describe the history of the forefathers of that group of middle class people, to make it reckon t hat their religion served certain needs which should be provided for. Durkheim, Weber, and Marx each studied the social organizations and the religions of various ancient societies. as well each of these thinkers eventually wrote works that were specialties and represented individual concentrations of each writer. For example, Durkheim wrote books on religion and also on suicide. Marx, of course is the most known of the thinkers. His work was more or less in economics and social theory that dealt with classes (Bilton et al, p. 100). Marxs partner, Engels wrote a books on the English working class. Webers most famous book was The Protestant pagan and the Spirit of Capitalism, but he had also written on Roman medieval societies. Weber ventured outside his comfort themes to write about religion and Asian societies. He wrote about ancient Confucianism and Taoism. He also wrote on Hinduism and Buddhism. Durkheim and Marx also had studied different religions. Durkheim demonstrated the i mportance of religion in forming too soon societies and how some of its standard activities merged into civic activities. Durkheims theory of anomie, social deviance, today forms the basis for which many another(prenominal) sociologists and criminologists build theories of social deviance and subcultures (Bilton et al, p. 386). His theories concerning the division of labor among growing societies help provide good grounds of Marx (who wrote before him) and other theorists. The early thinkers of western sociology were also familiar with economics. It was the changes which the Industrial Revolution had placed