Chapter 1 Section 2 Early Sociologists

Auguste Comte “ Father of Modern Sociology” Coined the term “sociology”. Comte focused on; Social Order- Processes which hold society together. Social Change- When society changes (also known as social dynamics).

Auguste Comte Wanted to know the causes and consequences of The French Revolution Industrial Revolution Felt people could discover these through the use of the Scientific Method.

Auguste Comte Societies improve and progress through stages. People seek explanations for events by; Turning to supernatural- Theology (God’s will) Religion and Philosophy- Metaphysical (Human Nature) Science- Positivism

Herbert Spencer Rejected the idea that sociology should be used for social reform. He envisioned an evolutionary model of society The most capable and intelligent would survive and the less would die out. What other scientist does this sound like?

Herbert Spencer 1 st to use the phrase “Survival of the Fittest”. Social Darwinism Helping poor individuals or societies would be damaging to the best interest of society (locally and globally) What kind of ramifications does this kind of thinking have for today?

Emile Durkheim 1 st to show how social forces affect people’s behaviors. Examined suicide rates in several European countries Found that suicides were not all solely individual acts, but some were socially driven. What are some of the common similarities of people who attempt or commit suicide?

Suicide Close ties decrease the likelihood of suicide Close ties to other people and community Marriage, friends, religion, etc.

Max Weber Believed that religion, not class struggle, was the main factor in rise of capitalism (opposite of Karl Marx) Calvinist follower of John Calvin (Protestant Revolution, for those of you who can’t remember back to World History) Sociology should be value free- “No biases” “Totally neutral and objective”

W.E.B. DuBois First African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. Conducted research on race relations in the United States from Wrote 2 influential books- The Philadelphia Negro The Souls of Black Folk Along with Jane Addams, he co-founded the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)