Why Durkheim? Defending Durkheimian sociology

Marcel Fournier and Paul Carls

Chapter 1 in The Elgar Companion to Émile Durkheim, 2026, pp 1-13 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This text examines Durkheim's reception in the 20th century and evaluates the relevance of Durkheimian sociology for the 21st century. It argues that despite critiques from various sources, there are four main reasons why Durkheim remains a relevant, foundational figure in the social sciences whose work is worthy of study: 1) he continues to inspire innovative and insightful research; 2) refuting critiques of Durkheim is a matter of historical justice, as often such critiques were politically oriented and/or (deliberate) mischaracterizations of his thought; 3) Durkheim's work offers insights that other foundational figures, such as Max Weber and Karl Marx, cannot provide; 4) Durkheim's work, modeling itself on the natural sciences, maintains the idea that the study of human societies can be truly scientific.

Keywords: Marx; Weber; Critical Theory; Post-Colonialism; Dilthey; Parsons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035322923
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