First published in 1895: Emile Durkheim's masterful work on the nature and scope of sociology--now with a new introduction and improved translation by leading scholar Steven Lukes.The Rules of the Sociological Method is among the most important contributions to the field of sociology, still debated among scholars today. Through letters, arguments, and commentaries on significant debates, Durkheim confronted critics, clarified his own position, and defended the objective scientific method he applied to his study of humans. This updated edition offers an introduction and extra notes as well as a new translation to improve the clarity and accessibility of this essential work. In the introduction, Steven Lukes, author of the definitive biography Emile Durkheim: His Life and Work, spells out Durkheim's intentions, shows the limits of Durkheim's view of sociology, and presents its political background and significance. Making use of the various texts in this volume and Durkheim's later work, Lukes discusses how Durkheim's methodology was modified or disregarded in practice--and how it is still relevant today. With substantial notes on context, this user-friendly edition will greatly ease the task of students and scholars working with Durkheim's method--a view that has been a focal point of sociology since its original publication. The Rules of the Sociological Method will engage a new generation of readers with Durkheim's rich contribution to the field."

This radical appraisal of Durkheim's method, first published in 1988, argues that fundamental errors have been made in interpreting Durkheim. Mike Gane argues that to understand The Rules it is necessary also to understand the context of the French society in which the book was written. He explores the cultural and philosophical debates which raged in France during the period when Durkheim prepared the book and establishes the real and unsuspected complexity of Durkheim's position: its formal complexity, its epistemological complexity, and its historical complexity.

This comprehensive collection of classical sociological theory is a definitive guide to the roots of sociology from its undisciplined beginnings to its current influence on contemporary sociological debate. Explores influential works of Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Mead, Simmel, Freud, Du Bois, Adorno, Marcuse, Parsons, and Merton Editorial introductions lend historical and intellectual perspective to the substantial readings Includes a new section with new readings on the immediate "pre-history" of sociological theory, including the Enlightenment and de Tocqueville Individual reading selections are updated throughout

This volume focuses on the four books by Durkheim which are generally accorded "classic" status: The Division of Labor in Society (1893), The Rules of Sociological Method (1895), Suicide (1897), and The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1912). In considering each of these works, Jones gives an account of Durkheim's intentions and beliefs, and why he held these beliefs, taking into consideration their social and historical context. In this discussion Jones also explains how Durkheim held some beliefs because he held other beliefs, in the sense that some beliefs provided his reasons for holding other beliefs. The author then follows this with a critical assessment of Durkheim's beliefs, indicating where these reasons were or were not insufficient, either by Durkheim's standards or our own. This book provides an excellent introduction to these four works in particular, and to Durkheim's sociological theories in general. It will be useful to upper-division undergraduates, as well as graduate students in sociology, philosophy, and intellectual history. Researchers and instructors will find it a valuable resource for lectures and research. "A remarkable work. . . . From presuppositions to conclusions, the presentation of Durkheimian thought is exceptionally clear, concise and pertinent. Jones succeeds in avoiding the traps associated with a summary, staying true to the essential ideas of the sociologist." --Archives de Sciences Sociales des Religions (Translated from French) " 'Translating' Durkheim's central ideas into undeniably more accessible language. Jones always stays close to the texts, and, in tune with his first goal, his work is a relatively accurate account of Durkheim's ideas. In addition, Emile Durkheim is a helpful reference for specific points and definitions." --Contemporary Sociology.

This volume sets out to explore the use of Émile Durkheim’s concept of the ‘collective consciousness of society’, and represents the first ever book-length treatment of this underexplored topic. Operating from both a criminological and sociological perspective, Kenneth Smith argues that Durkheim’s original concept must be sensitively revised and suitably updated for its real relevance to come to the fore. Major adjustments to Durkheim’s concept of the collective consciousness include Smith’s compelling arguments that the model does not apply to everyone equally, and that Durkheim’s concept does not in any way rely on what might be called the disciplinary functions of society.

This book examines Durkheim's considerable achievements and situates them in their social and intellectual contexts, with a concise account of the major elements of Durkheim's sociology. The book includes a critical commentary on the four main studies which exemplify Durkheim's contribution to sociology: The Division of Labour in Society; Suicide; The Rules of Sociological Method and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.