An& 1

The Enlightenment and the Forench

|Revo<utiðn had pHOtoL4nd intluences On the
development ot tociological theoizing, shaping
the intellectual landsape and porov'ding
toundational ideas that continie to intoHm
|iociological thought today
The Enigthtenment, an intellectual movement
ot the 17th and 18th centunies, emphadized
HeadOn, and the questioning Ot
tsyaditiOnal

ernpthoite Enlightenment "thinkers

Luct as8 John Locke, 'Tean-Tacqiues Rousseau,
and Immanuel Kant intHod uced ideas about
indiyid lual nights, 8Ocial contyact theoy, and
the nole ot reason in underdtanding himan
behavion and society. Thede ideas lad the
grOLAndwOrk tor sociological theosizing by
hallenging prevailing notond ot divine
authorty and pHOmoting the study Ot
J0ciety tf.rough empisical oblenvation and
analydid.
One digniticant intluence ot the
Enlightenment On sOciological theosizing was
the' deve<opnent ot &0ciàl contact theoy.
Rousleau's concept ot the social contyact)
which podited that individ uals voluntatily
6L4HHender certain toeedOms in exchange tor
8ocial odet and protection, contoib uted to
the underdtanding Ot the selationdhip
between individua<8 and sOciety. This idea
pHovided a basis tor exploing the dynamics
Ot powet, authoority, and govenance' within
s0Cial grOLups and irstitutiond.
FLuthemOre, the Enlightenment to8teyed
the emengence ot decllaH and syatiOnal
approaches to undesbtanding Ocial
phenomena, Enlightenment tfinkens, sought to
explain heman behavios and 60cial
Organization though scientitic inqiy and
enpiical evidence, laying, the groundwok
toH the development o d a& a
didtinct didcipline. This bhitt
and empiiciórn challenged
traditional veligiO LLJ and metaptyical
explanations ot soial lite, paving the way
tor
On
the bydtematic btLudy Ot socety based
obsevdtion and analyi6.
The Foernch Revolution, a pexiod ot yadical
political and social upheaval in late 18th
centuy Fyance, tusrther intuenced
JOciolocal theoizing by higthlighting the
dynamids ot s0cial change, ontlict, and
sHvolution. The sevolution challenged
exi6ting 6Ocial hieraschies and powe
8tyucEuHes, leading to debates about
equality democacy and s0cial justice.
Sociologts buch Auglu8te Comte and Kasl
Max d'ew On the lessond ot the French
Revolution to develop theories about sOcial
pOgyeSS, class struggle, and the dynaricd ot
change.
Comte, otten condidesed the tathen ot
Ocology, sOught tO apply scientitic pinciples
to the %tudy Ot society
Viewing0Oii
a means ot inderbtanding and 'gluiding
pHOgHe&s, Masx, On the other hand, analyzed
the social and econOmic toCes diving
histosical change, emphadizing the ofe ot
class contict in shaping society Both
thinkers were intluencèd by the
Hevol Y Tervo Ot thein time, and
thei COntoibuted to the
development Ot sOciological perspectives On
sOcial change, inequalit, and power dynamicd,
In slummasy, the Enlightenment and the
Forench Revdlution pootoLundly intluenced
JOciological theosizing by promoting
Hationdlity, empiicior, and the stdy ot
erhede
|8OCiety ba~ed On scientitic poinciples.
moverients challenged toaditiOnal a luthority,
tostered debates about individ lual sights
and s0cial contyact theoy, and highilighted
the dynamics ot &OCial change and 'contlict.
The ideas and debates that' emerged dllting
this peiOd contin ue to &hape socological
thought, providing a sich intellectual legacy
tor nderbtandin~ the cOmplexities ot
human 8OCiety.
And 2

Hensi de Saint-SimOn 1760 to1825 was a

Fsench &ocial theosist and One ot the
tiguves ot s0cioloy His woitingo
had a icant intuence on the
developnnt ot &ocological thought,
pasticulasly on fid intellectual disciple,
Aigubte Conte 1798to1857
Saint-Simon's work sevolved asound the
idea Ot 8Ocial Heoganization baled On
&cientitic pinciples, which he articulated in
is nimeious wsitings, including The New
Chsibtianity and The'oganizatiðn ot Labo.
He advocaBed tor the dpplication ot
&Cientitic knowledge and expertile t0 dolve
kOcial problemd and improve the oxganization
Saint-SinOn believed that the
OT giOnal
oyder Ot babed On
teudalisrn 0hoity,
and seligious wab
Outdated and needed to be sepldced by a
new social oyder gHounded in oatiOnality,
mesitocacy andind Lubtorial progres8,
One ot Saint-Simon'3 key contibutiond to
Ociological thought was this emphabi8 On
the imp0ttance ot 80cial Organization and
the dividion ot labor in modem &ocieties, He
agued that s0cial progre68 and prOkpesity
cold be achieved through the siatonal
OHganization Ot labor and the coOperqtion
Of dittesent &0cial group6. Saint-imon 8 ideas
 laid the g0undwork tor the stludy, Ot
&OCial 6touctuHes and inbtitlutiOns, which
became central themes in the development
ot s0ciology
Aluglubte Comte, otten egarded as the
totnder ot spciology,
by Saint-SimOn &
wat deeply intluenced
and woijtinb. Conte
initially deved as Saint-SimOn 8 Jeçretay and
collaboratoy, absobing his mentor3 idedb
about &Ocia e0rgani~ation and the
application ot &cientitic porinciples t0 sOcial
i88ues. Howeve, COmte eventually developed
fid own dibtinct sOciologica traework,
known as poditivió. Comte' s positivibt
philosophy emphadized the ube ot scientitic
methods to 8tudy dOciety and underbtand
80Cial phenOmena, "He 6Ought to ebtab|i3h
as a dcientitic dscipline, dibtinct
dther tields such as' philo8Opfuy and
COmte s poditivist apppach was

theoott|uenced
deeply by Saint-Simon s enphadis
On the impontance bt dcientitic knowledge
and expertike in addyesbing s0cial problem.
Delpite thqr eventual ideologica ditteences,
Saint-SinOn' 8intluence On Comte 3 thinking
Was proBound, Saint-Simon' 3emphasis On
8Ocial Organization, progHeSs, and the
application ot &cientitic"pinciples povided
Comte with a toundaton tor is own
|sOciological theoHies, Comte 8 po[itivibt
approah to JOcioloRy with its tocus On
empisical obsevation, clasitication ot social
phenOmena, and beasch tor social laws, Can
be deen as a çOntin uatiOn and elaboatiOn
Ot Saint-SimOn 8 ideab.
In conclusion, Hensi de Saint-SimOn' s woitings
On s0cial eorganization and the application
ot scientitic poinciples had a digniticant
intuence on the' development ot sociology
pa.srticulanly On the wotk ot id
intellpctua! dibciple, Augubte Comte. saint
SinOn' &emphasis On social OrganizatiOn and
prOgess laid the grondwok tor the
6tLdy Ot sofial &tauctuHes and indtitutions,
while Conte's positivist approach to s0ciology
tsrtheH advanced the Scientitic btudy Ot
iociety. Togethen, their contnblutions helped
8huape' the toundations Ot moden socioloY
and continue to intuence sociological
thought today
Ans 3
|Auglubte Comte 1798to1857 i8 otten
Heqasded as the toundet Ot s0ciology and
made devesal digniticant cOntyibutiond to
s0ciological theebybtematic
gHOLndwosk to
Hi8 ideas laid the
btuay ot
dociety as a dibtinct &ciÁntitic dibcipline!
COmte 8 contib utiond Can be 8LumaHized a&
tollows
Positivilm: Comte's mobt notable contoiblution
to 60ciological theoy was8 his development
ot positivdm. Positivis id a philosophical
approacth that emphadizes the ube ot
ernpisical obdevation, &cientitic methods, and
the application ot natual science poinciples
to the t ot bo80ciety. Comte anglued that
ocology badbd On the Jame
rigOroM method8 ubed in the natuyal
8clences, 8uch as oblevation, expesimentation,
and the tomulation ot univesal laws.
This positividt appOach helped establidh
0Ciology as a legitinate scientitic dibcipline
and laid the tondation tor empiical
Hedeasch in the tield.
Law Thvee Stages: Comte propoded the
Law ot Three Sta~es, which outlines the
pHOgHesdion ot human th0ught and &ociety
thoough thiee dibtinct stages: the
theological stage, the metaptydical stage,
and thie poitiviát &tage. In the theological
 stage, human underbtanding id dominated by
elgiou8 and &lupenatlusal explanatiOns Ot
the' wold, In the metaptydical stage,
rel explanations are eplaced ty
ab&fract phulosopthical concepts. Finaly in the
po&itivikt itage, knowledge id grounded in
empiical obsevatiOn and dcientitic inquisty.
Comte believed that s0cology had eactied
the positivilt btage, matking the beginning ot
a new eHa ot scientitic underdtanding ot
JOciety
Social staticó and Social Dynarict; Comte
didtinguisted between docial statics, which
Hete to the tudy ot sOcial oHdes and
|Stability, and s0cial aynamics, which netes to
the 8tudy Ot social hange and developnent.
He aglued that ocology should tocus on
both aspect8 Ot analyzing the
stouctuyes and in&titiltions that maintain
8OCial oHder as well as the prOce&8e& and
mechanismd that lead to sOcial change. Thid
didtinctiOn laid the goundwork to the
study ot social stctune, &0cial
Organization, and dOCial change within
sOology
Law ot Thsee Stages: Comte's Law ot Thnee
Stages, though citicized to ito
ELusOcentoridrn" and overdinpliticatio,, provided
a toramewok to inderbtanding the
evolution ot hunan thought and sOciety,
It emphadized the ipOrtance ot hibtOsicl
context and cultual developrment ij dhaping
8OCia phenOmena, AdditiOnally Omte &
emphabis On social oyder and stability laid
the groundwork tor tnctiOnalidt theorieb
in soiology, which tocus On the wayd in
whict &Oal indtit utiond contiblte to the
maintenance ot Ocial equibyium.
Overall, Auglubte Comte 8 contoibutiond to
80ciological theoy were toundatiOnal in
establiahing ociolöN, ad a scientitic didcipline.
Hi8 poditiviat approà, emphabis On empioical
Oblevation, and analybis Ot 80cial Ode and
change contine tO intluence sociological
Helec'Hch and theory to this day. wile &Ome
ot hid idead have been Coitiqued' and Hevibed
Over time, COmte's intence On the
development
and end lLying.
ot sociology vemaind bigniticant
 And 4
Henbest Spences 1820+01 903 was a psominent
Englist philosopher Ociologikt, and biologibt
wio made bigniticant contaiblutiOn& to
SOciologcal theoy, pa.sticulanly thougt tis
applicaton ot the organic analogy and
theoy t evolution to the stLidy Ot
sOCiety.
The ourganic analo also knOwn as the
Organic'theoy otociety, ió a conceptual
toramewok developed by Spencer that likend
Ociety to a living 0vgahism. AccoHding to this
analogy, sOciety tlunctons like a bolbgical
Organisin, with' vasiOLS patb such ad
inbtitutions, sOcial gr0ups, and individ ualo
working t0gethey in hasmOny to maintain
the oveHall health and stability ot the
0Cial oganióm. Spencer asgued that, similar
to a biological oganióm, sdciety exthibits
chanacteidticó ot'growth, developnent,
adaptaton, and selt-eglulation.
Spencer applied the poinciples ot_evolutior,
paticulatly tho&e outlined by Chanles
Dawin, to 'the &tudy Ot &Ociety. He believed
that &ociety evolves "over tine "thsHOLugh
prOce&& ot natuHal selection, wheneby "8ocial
8tsuctuHes and indtitutions that ae best
8uited to meet the need& ot the
envinOnnent ae pedesved and Heintoced,
while thobe that ase le68 adaptive decline
and eventually disappeat. This proce s8 ot
8OCial evolution leads to the development
Ot more complex and sophisticated tom Ot
80Cial oganization.
One ,pt spencer'& key ideas wgd the concept
ot "8unival ot the tittebt," which he
applied to both biological evolution and
80Cial development. He argued that
individuals and 8ocieties that ase bettet
adapted to thein enviHOnment& aye mOHe
ikely to &luvive and thive, while tho6e
thaf aHe less adapted apre move likely to
peibh Ot decline, Spencer &application ot
Dawinian poinciples' to sOciety led to the
development ot 8Ocial Dawiism, a
Controvesdial theoy that justitied &0cial
inequality and laisbez-taiHe capitalidm as
natuyal'outcomes
PHOce&8,
ot the evolutionay
Dedpite it& intluence, Spences Ourganic
andlogy and theoy ot social evdlution
have been &ubject 'to coiticiarn. Cyitic& angue
that the analogy Overdimplities the
COmplexity ot soc'ety and tails tO account
tor the role ot powe, contlict, and
fuibtoical contingency in 8haping social change.
FLLsdhesmOHe, Spence s idea8 about sOcial
Dawinidn fave been widely condemned tor
their jubtitication ot social inequality and
exploitation.
ovexall, Mexbent Spencex's onganc
and theOy Ot sOCial evoluton made
analogy
igniticant ontyitbutions to the development
o} aociological theory 8haping the Way
scholars onceptualize the natune and
dynamicó ot s0ciety. While his ideas have, been
8tbject t0 coriticiám and yevibon, Spencer'6
intuence On the tield, ot sociology vemaind
endluing, and hió work continues to
6timulate debate and discLu68ion anOng
sOciologistl.
And 5
Kal Max 6dialectical mateialidm id a
philosopical toamewotk that undespinó hid
analydid ot &0ciety fibtory, and d0cial cnange.
I# combines elements ot seLan pfilosopty
pasticularly Hegelian dialectics, with a
matepialikt 'underdtanding ot the wold.
Max 8 dialectical matesidlidm can be bHOken.
dOwn into deveral key corpOnentJ,
Dialectic; Max's dialectical method id Hooted
in the Hegelian dialectic, which po8it& that
Heality id'chasacteized by contiadiction& and
contlilts that doive change and development.
Masx adapted thik dialectical appoach to
tocus on mateial conditions and sOcial
orelation&. AccOrding to Masx, fistony is
8faped by the dialectical inteyplay'ot
OppO[ing toced pasticLulaly the ontlict
between social classes which leads to the
developrnent ot new social tomationd.
Matetialisrn: Max'8 mateialist woldview
emphadizes the poimacy Ot matenial
conditiond, paticulanly econormic, tactoró,Unlike
in,
8haping sOcial lite and human histony
idealist philosophies that priOritize idèas OH
COn&cioubnebs, Masx agued that mateyial
COndition6, 8uch as the meand ot production
and the OrganizatiOn Ot labo, detemine
the social and econOmic Helationd t society.
Mateia conditiOn& tom the baid to 6Ocidl
Helationó, institutions, and
ideologiek.
Histosical natesialidn: Max s theory ot
ribtoical mateialidm poOVides a thamewWOtk
tO underbtanding the tHajectOy Ot human
histoy. AcCOHding 'to hibtorical mdtevialión,
hidto id dsiven by the developrment ot
pOdlutive torces uch as tecnology.
ind ubtoy, and agric ultLuHe, and the
sHelations ot production that aibe trom
them. Changed in the mode ot. porOd uction,
8uch a& thie tyanditiOn toom teudalidn to
capitalión, lead to change& in s0cial
btilct uHes, clas8 Helations, and the oveHall
Organization ot dociety.
|Clada stuggle: Centoral to max's dialectical
materialiom 6 the concept ot cas6 stggle,
which he viewed ad the engine ot hiótoical
Change. Masx argued that throughout
uidtoy, sOcietieshave been chasatesized by
contlicts between 6Ocial chasded withh oppobirg
intenests such as the bouHgeoidie owness Of
the meand Ot pHoduction anid the
proletayiat workerd, Thele chas8 btorluggles
dsive the tsanbtOmation ot sOcial and
econOmic bydtems, leading to the overthow
Ot existing uling classès and the
ebtablidhient Ot new social Orderd.
Revolution, and Social TsandtOsmation: Masx
believed that the contradictions inhesent in
Capitalism &uch as the exploitation Ot labon
and the concentyation ot wealth would
inevitably lead to its downtall He envibiOned
a ovethOW Ot capitalidm by
nevolutoK
the working leading to the
ebtablishment ot a clab8Te &8 8Ociety baded On
common ownesthip ot the meand ot
pod uction. Thi8 vidion ot socialism ot
COrnunidrn, sepredents the ultimate goal ot
Max 8 dialectical matesiaidn.
Ln sumay, Kal Masx s dialectical
matesialidrn"povideb a cOmprehenive
tramewotk tor analyzing aOciety, hibtony, and
|aocial change. By intenaBing dialectics witth
matesialist 'undenstanding bt the wold,
Max s0Lught t0 uncove the undenying.
dynamic& Ot capitalióm and envidion, a path
tÖwayd a more ubt and equitable society.