CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY

General Editor: ANTHONY GIDDENS

This series aims to create a forum for debate between different

theoretical and philosophical traditions in the social sciences. As
well as covering broad schools of thought, the series will also con-
centrate upon the work of particular thinkers whose ideas have had
a major impact on social science (these books appear under the sub-
series title of 'Theoretical Traditions in the Social Sciences'). The
series is not limited to abstract theoretical discussion - it will also
include more substantive works on contemporary capitalism, the
state, politics, and other subject areas.
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY
General Editor: ANTHONY GIDDENS

Published titles
Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Philip Jones, Ken Sheard, Michelle Stanworth and
Andrew Webster, Introductory Sociology
Simon Clarke, Marx, Marginalism and Modern Sociology
Emile Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method (ed. Steven Lukes, trans.
W. D. Halls)
Anthony Giddens, A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism
Anthony Giddens, Central Problems in Social Theory
Anthony Giddens, Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory
Anthony Giddens and David Held (eds), Classes, Power and Conflict
Ali RaUansi, Marx and the Division of Labour
Gerry Rose, Deciphering Sociological Research
Steve Taylor, Durkheim and the Study of Suicide
John B. Thompson and David Held (eds), Habermas: Critical Debates
John Urry, The Anatomy of Capitalist Societies
Forthcoming titles
Martin Albrow, Weber and the Construction of Social Theory
Clive Ashworth, Chris Dandeker and Terry Johnson, Theoretical Sociology
David Brown and Michael Harrison, Industrial Sociology
Emile Durkheim, The Division of Labour in Society (trans. W. D. Halls)
Boris Frankel, Beyond the State
Anthony Giddens, Between Capitalism and Socialism
David Held, Bureaucracy, Democracy and Socialism
Geoffrey Ingham, Capitalism Divided
Jorge Larrain, Marxism and Ideology
Claus Offe, Structural Problems of the Capitalist State
John Scott, The Upper Classes
Michelle Stanworth, Gender and Class
John B. Thompson, Language and Ideology

Theoretical Traditions in the Social Sciences

Published title
Barry Barnes, T. S. Kuhn and Social Science
Forthcoming titles
Ted Benton, Althusser and the Althusserians
David Bloor, Wittgenstein and Social Science
Chris Bryant, Positivism in Social Theory
John Forrester, Jacques Lacan
John Heritage, Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology
Athar Hussain, Foucault
Bob Jessop, Nicos Poulantzas
Julian Roberts, Walter Benjamin
James Schmidt, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Social Theory
Dennis Smith, Barrington Moore: Violence, Morality and Political Change
Robin Williams, Erving Goffman
The Rules of Sociological
Method
And selected texts on sociology and
its method
Emile Durkheim

Edited with an Introduction by Steven Lukes

Translated by W. D. Halls

M
 Introduction and selection © Steven Lukes 1982
Translation © The Macmillan Press Ltd 1982
Softcover reprint of the hardcover Ist edition 1982

All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in

any form or by any means, without permission.

First published 1982 by

THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
London and Basingstoke
Companies and representatives throughout the world

ISBN 978-0-333-28072-0 ISBN 978-1-349-16939-9 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-16939-9

Typeset in Great Britain by

ILLUSTRATED ARTS

The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by
way oftrade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without
the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which
it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed
on the subsequent purchaser.
Contents

Introduction (by Steven Lukes) 1

THE RULES OF SOCIOLOGICAL METHOD

Preface 31
Preface to the Second Edition 34
Introduction 48
Chapter I: What is a Social Fact? 50
Chapter II: Rules for the Observation of Social Facts 60
Chapter III: Rules for the Distinction of the Normal
from the Pathological 85
Chapter IV: Rules for the Constitution of Social Types 108
Chapter V: Rules for the Explanation of Social Facts 119
Chapter VI: Rules for the Demonstration of Sociological
Proof 147
Conclusion 159

WRITINGS OF DURKHEIM BEARING ON ms VIEW OF

SOCIOLOGY AND ITS METHOD
Marxism and Sociology: The Materialist Conception of
History (1897) 167
Sociology and the Social Sciences (1903) 175
Debate on the Relationship between Ethnology and
Sociology (1907) 209
Debate on Explanation in History and Sociology (1908) 211
Debate on Political Economy and Sociology (1908) 229
The Contribution of Sociology to Psychology and
Philosophy (1909) 236
vi Contents

Notes on:
Social Morphology (1899) 241
Civilisation in General and Types of Civilisation (1902) 243
The Method of Sociology (1908) 245
Society (1917) 248
Letters about:
The Psychological Character of Social Facts and their
Reality (1895) 249
The Nature of Society and Causal Explanation (1898) 251
The Psychological Conception of Society (1901) 253
The Role of General Sociology (1905) 255
Influences upon Ourkheim's View of Sociology (1907) 257

Index 261

Translator's Note
References to works cited in the Notes have been checked in
editions available and in some cases additions and amendments
have been made.
W.O.H.