Durkheim as master of suspicion

Paul Carls

Chapter 19 in The Elgar Companion to Émile Durkheim, 2026, pp 331-349 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In the 1960s Paul Ricoeur coined the phrase “masters of suspicion” to describe Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Sigmund Freud for their ability to reveal the hidden or repressed meanings or truths located in texts or social and psychological phenomena. Ricoeur's discussion identifies different aspects that the masters of suspicion have in common, which sees them engaged in various ways in a hermeneutics of suspicion. Durkheim's sociological project contains the same elements as the other named masters of suspicion, particularly in his critique of the Cartesian cogito, or the idea that consciousness is transparent to itself. This essay explains in detail the ways in which Durkheim is truly a master of suspicion in Ricoeur's sense, but also seeks to understand why Ricoeur did not mention Durkheim. The essay will thus explore how Durkheim is relevant for hermeneutics, while also exploring facets of his methodology in new ways.

Keywords: Ricoeur; Hermeneutics; Descartes; Sociological method; Marx; Nietzsche (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035322923
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