Main Currents in Sociological Thought 2

This second volume on the pioneers of modern sociological thought deals with three great thinkers on the threshold of the modern age: Emile Durkheim, Vilfredo Pareto, and Max Weber. Children of the same generation, their works clearly reveral the critical situation of Western Europe at the turn of the century. All three are related by their stark recognition that the conflict between science and religion would threaten the social stability of the West. However, their conceptual expressions of this problem show marked divergences. As the sober optimist, the ironic pessimist, and the bitter observer, each individual mirrors striking differences in nationality, creed and intellectual influences.
In elucidating their principal theories, Professor Aron demonstrates what their doctrines contribute to the scientific understanding of human behaviour and modern societies. Like the first volume, in which he discusses Montesquieu, Comte, Marx and Tocqueville, this book is essential reading for everyone interested in man’s relationship to his social environment.