Great Social Theorists

by Frank W. Elwell
Rogers State University

In an attempt to promote greater understanding of classical macro

social theory, particularly its implications for social criticism and
prediction, I have created an Internet Web Site on eight classical macro
social theorists. For four of these theorists, I have written web essays
that attempt to explain their theories, criticisms, and predictions to a
general audience. These essays are available in html at the sites
indexed, or in a form suitable for printing from The Classical Tradition
link below. For the others, I have included bibliographies, PowerPoint
lectures, links to primary sources and other worthwhile Internet
materials. I will try to keep these pages current as I continue my
studies in each.

Classical Social Theorists:

Thorstein Veblen
T. Robert Malthus (1766-1834)
(1857-1929)
Emile Durkheim (1858-
Auguste Comte (1798-1857)
1917)
Max Weber (1864-
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
1920)
Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) W. E. B. Dubois (1868-1963)
Internet Books on Classical Social Modern Social
Theorists: Theorists
The Classical Tradition: Malthus, Marx, Weber &
Durkheim
Masters of Sociological Thought

II

I have compiled essays on four 19th century social theorists into a book
entitled The Classical Tradition to serve as an introduction to the social
theory of Malthus, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. I have long been of the
opinion that the classics have much to offer, but social scientists tend to
spend far too much time in social theory classes focused on teaching
theory as history and not enough on contemporary developments. I
have also felt strongly that, in order to attract American students,
sociologists are getting far too social psychological. Accordingly, you will
find this book relatively short and focused on the macro-level theory of
the classics, with particular attention to ideas that have proven relevant
in understanding contemporary sociocultural systems. This book should
give undergraduate students the necessary grounding in classical
theory to give them opportunity to read and discuss the work of
contemporary practitioners; social theory courses should not be history
courses, the whole point is to understand what is going on out there.

The classical theorists covered in this short volume are considered

central in their disciplines. Malthus is considered one of the founders of
economics and demography. "Malthus' Social Theory" makes the case
that his more lasting contribution has been to ecological/evolutionary
theory in both biology and in the social sciences. Emile Durkheim is
often referred to as the founder of modern sociology, helping to
establish the discipline and many of its methods. Max Weber's writings
on bureaucracy and rationalization are still considered essential in
understanding modern society. And of course Marx has perhaps had
the most profound influence of any social scientist in history. Not only
did he inspire several generations of revolutionaries, he has also
exerted a more subtle (and lasting) influence on all social scientists who
followed.

As sociologists, the classical theorists were reacting to the initial stages

of the industrial and democratic revolutions. Writing in essentially
agrarian societies, Malthus, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber picked up on
many of the main trends of modernizing society. In their writings they
used their sociology to critique the society of their day as well as to
forecast many of our modern structures and problems.

To download this book (free!) click on the following link: The

Classical Tradition: Malthus, Marx, Weber & Durkheim (Requires
Adobe Reader).

This Internet book is intended to serve as a companion piece to

Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists which covers the social
theories of C. Wright Mills, Marvin Harris, Immanuel Wallerstein and
Gerhard Lenski that will be published by Paradigm Publishers in the
spring of 2006. Undergraduate texts give ample discussion of the
canonical works of Marx, Weber and Durkheim but little when it comes
to the theories of contemporary practitioners. This book seeks to
remedy that with a focus on the work of four modern theorists who have
taken on the larger themes of classical social theory. C. Wright Mills,
Marvin Harris, Immanuel Wallerstein, and Gerhard Lenski have
examined such phenomena and processes as the rise and impact of
capitalism, the centralization and enlargement of authority, inequality,
and the intensification of production and population. Borrowing what is
useful from the classics as well as relying on contemporary practitioners
and empirical evidence, each theorist adds his own insights and
interpretations in constructing a comprehensive perspective of
sociocultural stability and change. This book fully summarizes and
documents each perspective using language and examples that
resonate with the general reader. A short biography on each theorist is
also provided.

III

The Industrial Revolution continues. Recently, we have entered a

"hyper-industrial" phase in which massive industrial and population
changes begun in the 17th century are disrupting the remaining
vestiges of traditional institutions as well as the norms and values of
western societies. Drawing on the work of classical and neo-classical
theorists, Industrializing America: Understanding Contemporary
Society through Classical Sociological Analysis is an attempt to integrate
and synthesize these insight into a comprehensive world view.

©2002 & ©2005 Frank Elwell, Send comments to felwell at rsu.edu

Dr. Elwell's Professional Page
Verstehen (German): to understand. 1. To perceive and comprehend
the nature and significance of, to know. 2. To know thoroughly by close
contact with or by long experience of the phenomenon. 3. To grasp or
comprehend the meaning intended or expressed by another. 4. To know
and be empathetic toward. Weber used the term to refer to the
social scientist's attempt to understand both the Verstehen
(German): to understand. 1. To perceive and comprehend the
nature and significance of, to know. 2. To know thoroughly by
close contact with or by long experience of the phenomenon. 3.
To grasp or comprehend the meaning intended or expressed by
another. 4. To know and be empathetic toward. Weber used the
term to refer to the social scientist's attempt to understand
both the intention and the context of human action. intention
and the context of human action.