Classical Social Theory

Volledige vakbeschrijving

This course is part one of a sequence of courses tracing back through the historical development of sociological theory. We will engage with the works of early theorists such as Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Antonio Gramsci, George Simmel and George Herbert Mead. Some of the basic lines of inquiry we will pursue include: What were the big questions driving the formation ‘classical sociology’? Are these questions still relevant today? What is the basis of social order and structure? How and why do societies change? What are the causes and consequences of conflict in society? What place does the individual hold in the study of society? Throughout the course, we will read original materials accompanied some contemporary interpretations of the classics. This is an essentail course for students interested in the foundations of sociology and the social sciences more broadly.