S O, W H E N A N D W H Y D I D

S O C I O LO G I C A L T H I N K I N G B EG I N ?

W H AT W E R E T H E K E Y E V E N TS ?

W H O W E R E T H E I M P O RTA N T
P EO P L E ?

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 An
unexamined
life is not
worth living

Socrates
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Three important events

1. The English Civil

2. The French
Wars (17th
Revolution (1789)
Century)

3. The Industrial
Revolution (18th
and 19th Centuries)

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 1. The English Civil
Wars (17 Century)
th

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LIFE WAS “NASTY
BRUTISH [violent]
AND SHORT”
Thomas Hobbes
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THE PROBLEM OF ORDER
Given that people
are naturally self-
seeking [自私]
how can we live
peacefully with
each other?
How is social order
possible?

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 SOCIAL CONTRACT
•It’s necessary for some people
give up their individual freedoms
to a sovereign power or king in
return for peace and security.

•In other words, we need to

cooperate.

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Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
2. THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION(1749)
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 Decline of the
Aristocracy

•Victory to
the
Peasants
•(農夫)

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Check out the
movie!

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Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
Search for non-
religious
solutions to
social
problems.

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INTEREST IN
SCIENCE
GROWTH OF
LIBRARIES,
“ TEMPLES OF
REASON”

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The rise of
the secular
state

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AU G U ST COM T E
1 7 9 8 -1 8 5 7

“Science of Society”
or “Social Physics”

SOCIOLOGY

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 3. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

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Navigation and shipping

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 Manufacturing
Manufacturing

Tobacco and Cotton

slaves

Sugar

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 Max Weber

Four Emile Durkheim

important
social thinkers Karl Marx

Georg Simmel

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 1. Max Weber 1864-1920

• THE WORK ETHIC

• He was born in Germany in 1864
• His father loved to enjoy himself.
• His mother was very religious.
• They were always fighting!

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 • He studied at the
University of Berlin
where he spent a lot
of time drinking beer
and fencing [击剑运
动]

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• He knew that technology was
important for industrialization

• But he also said that for

industrialization to occur it was
important to have people who are
prepared to work hard and save
money.

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 • He noticed that the
most hardworking
people were found in
the Protestant (新教
徒/基督教徒) parts of
Europe.

• They woke up early.

• They never got drunk
• They preferred to save
their money rather
than spend it.
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 • This attitude provides
the perfect conditions
for capitalism to emerge
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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 2. Emile Durkheim: 1858-1917
Individualism and Suicide

•He was born in France in 1858

•He was from a very religious
Jewish (猶太教徒) family. In fact
his father was a Rabbi (拉⽐)
•He went to the top university of
his day

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 •The wealthier a country
becomes, the more likely it is
that its citizens will kill
themselves!

•How can you explain this?

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 • The problem seemed to be
that as societies became
wealthier, people had more
freedoms and choices
• They began to see themselves
as “individuals,” responsible
for their own circumstances,
disconnected from the
mainstream society.
• Religion was no longer there
to tell them how to make
decisions and how to live.
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 3. KARL MARX 1818-1883
Alienation and social class
•He was born in 1818 in
Germany and joined the
Communist Party.
•He was a journalist.
•He was criticized for his views
and was forced to leave
Germany and settle in London
where he experienced poverty.
•He wanted to reform the
Capitalist system
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 • He observed that
work in modern
factories had become
boring and lonely.

• People could no
longer get satisfaction
from seeing the
results of their labour.

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• The same is true in any modern
offices today.

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AND EVEN AT UNIVERSITIES
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 FOR SOME, CAPITALISM BRINGS
GREAT WEALTH

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BUT NOT FOR ME!
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Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
4. Georg Simmel 1858-1918:
The Metropolis [City] and
Mental Life.
• He was born in Berlin.

• His father owned a chocolate

factory and left him plenty of
money to study philosophy.

• How can people maintain their

own sense of individuality in the
face of group pressures from the
society to conform?
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 NO EYE-CONTACT
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Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
Property of J.M. Groves. No permission given to reproduce on any website.
 1. The English Civil Wars: The search for a social
order

2. The French Revolution: The defeat of the old

EVENTS aristocracy. Belief in science to solve social
problems.

4. The Industrial Revolution: technology, steam,

factories, shipping and navigation, exploitation
of resources from other countries.

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 Auguste Comte: the “science of society”

Max Weber: the work ethic, investment

PEOPLE Emile Durkheim: individualism and suicide

Karl Marx: Alienation, inequalities

Georg Simmel: The stranger, city life.

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 Coming up…
Themes in modern sociology

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