The triple core of Durkheimian moral sociology

Raquel Andrade Weiss

Chapter 12 in The Elgar Companion to Émile Durkheim, 2026, pp 193-211 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter advances a reinterpretation of Durkheimian sociology by highlighting the central role of morality not only as an object of inquiry but as a foundational dimension of sociological reasoning. It argues that society, for Durkheim, is ultimately a sui generis product of interaction among individuals—its moral authority emerging from collective effervescence and symbolization. Moral ideals, in this view, are idealized self-representations of the group: emotionally charged and normatively binding visions of what the group aspires to be. Drawing from lesser-known lectures and posthumously published writings, the chapter reconstructs Durkheim's complex engagement with social and moral philosophy, social sciences, and political ethics. It proposes a tripartite model in which morality functions as explanans, explanandum, and a normative force within sociology itself. Ultimately, this Durkheimian moral sociology offers a critical framework for understanding the formation, transformation, and contestation of moral values in contemporary societies.

Keywords: Moral Sociology; Sociology of Morality; Sacred; Effervescence; Rituals; Critical Sociology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035322923
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