The History of Sociology

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

“To understand a science, it is necessary to know its history.”

Father of Sociology
Coined the term Sociology
French

Believed a theoretical science of society

and systematic investigation of behavior
were needed to improve society.

“Know yourself to improve yourself”

 Karl Marx (1818-1883)
“Social Progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.”

Believed the overall structure of

society is influenced by competition
Society is divided between two
groups, the owners and the workers
Bourgeoisie (Owners): Those who
control resources and use their wealth
to control society
Proletariat (Workers): Those who
work as a resource of the owners and
are exploited for their labor and their
skills
Imbalance of power leads to conflict
and/or revolution
German
 Harriet Martineau (1802-1876)
“Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare.”

Considered the first female

sociologist
Wrote the first book on
sociological methods
Studied social class distinctions,
gender, and race
Wrote about the link between
slavery and the oppression of
women
English
 Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”

Did not use sociology for social

change or social reform. He
believed society would evolve,
adapt, and change towards a more
stable structure
Created biological model of society
patterned after the works of
evolutionist Charles Darwin
Social Darwinism - the best
ideas and groups in society survive
and the worst become extinct
English
 Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
“It is society which, fashioning us in its image, fills us with religious
political, and moral beliefs that control our actions.”

The first social scientist to

apply methods of science to
the study of sociology

Believed that behavior must

be understood within a larger
social context, not just in
individualistic terms

Studied the consequences of

work in modern societies

French
 Max Weber (1864-1920)
"Either one lives ‘for’ politics or one lives ‘off’ politics.”

Studied the behavior of

groups within society rather
than the social whole of
society

Sociologists should try to

uncover the feelings and
thoughts of individuals

German
 Ida Wells-Barnett (1862 – 1931)
“The white man's victory soon became complete by fraud, violence, intimidation
and murder.”

Advocate in the women’s rights

campaign

Analyzed society as a means of

resisting oppression

Worked as an activist in the

campaign for women’s right to
vote

American
“The white man's dollar is his god, and to stop
this will be to stop outrages in many
localities.”
 W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963)
“A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.”

Conducted research he
hoped would assist in the
struggle for a racially
egalitarian society

Lead in-depth studies of

urban life in major cities

American