Classical Sociological Theorists

Classical theorists Marx, Durkheim, and Weber each made a significant impact on the world of sociology that has carried into the present day. They each theorized following the Industrial Revolution but had varying perspectives, both optimistic and pessimistic, about the ways in which society was rapidly changing. Marx saw the development of society in a predominantly optimistic light because he anticipated change occurring through a social revolution (ultimately to be brought about by class conflict). The problems he saw, however, laid in that the working class was exploited and oppressed to maintain the interests of the dominant class--and under capitalism this would never change. Marx saw the rise of capitalism as poisonous to society because it could only ever benefit those in power (aka those who were in control of the means of production). Another problematic change that arose with the quickly developing society was what Marx referred to as alienation. Alienation was a problem experienced almost exclusively by the working class, and on a variety of levels. Workers became alienated from their end product (the product of all their labor), each other, and they could even become alienated from themselves. Durkheim did not starkly disagree with Marx, but he felt as though much greater attention needed to be paid to the role of culture in the changing society. Durkheim studied a great deal about religious groups and communities, and from his findings emphasized the importance of “collective consciousness” for these communities to survive. Collective experiences are active experiences, or performances, that need to be played out by “performers” (or believers) to reaffirm their identity. If a community’s identity ceases to be reaffirmed, it is in danger of becoming extinct. The problem, for Durkheim, as society reached modernity was that people were “differentiating” more and more. Differentiation is the process by which the interconnections between