Overview ► Big Ideas  Positivism  Anti-positivism ► History of the development of modern society ► How modern societies operate ► The role of religion

Positivism ► Both Marx and Durkheim (especially Durkheim) were of the positivist school  This meant that they felt that society could be analyzed using the same methods employed in the natural sciences ► Weber had a different approach to the study of society  He felt that because of its very nature (that is, being comprised of individuals) societies must be studied in a different manner

Development of Modern Societies ► All three of them saw societies as progressing from a more “primitive” state to a more modern on  All of them were concerned that this shift in modernity was having negative consequences for the members of these societies ► The origins of and solutions to these problems were very different among these writers, however

► For Marx, the history of society was one of changing modes of production (from hunter gatherer to pastoral to fuedal to capitalism and ultimately to communism) ► Durkheim also saw things as a progression to more differentiated division of labor. He was not concerned with the “relationship to the mode of production” but rather with the individual’s relationship with the rest of society ► Weber drew on Marx’s notions but added to them the concepts of social and political power

Marx v. Durkheim ► Marx assumed an immanent commencement in the relationship between human beings and society and the value of freedom from constraint ► Durkheim favored a transcendental conception and the value of constraint. ► Marx was interested in problems of power and change, ► Durkiem in problems of maintenance and order. ► Marx's key issue of alienation was class legitimacy of social control, and his key focus was power and social change. ► The implication of this was the transformation of society whilst Durkheim’s key issue was adequacy of social control and the focus was on maintenance of order, this had the implication of moral education for the individual.

Marx V. Weber ► Marx saw the social hierarchy as divided into two groups: those who own the means of production and those who do not. ► Weber saw society as organized on three planes: Class (ala Marx), Status (social connections), and Party (political clout), each influencing and being influenced by the other

Durkheim v. Weber ► Weber’s conceptualization, while not Marxist per se, still dealt with the hierarchical arrangement of society ► Durkheim was more concerned with maintaining social order whereas Weber’s ideas were not intended for these purposes  It should be noted, however, that Weber didn’t advocate for revolution the way Marx did either

Religion ► Marx- Religion is a drug utilized to numb the pain of exploitation ► Durkheim- Religion is the a major component of the glue that holds society together ► Weber- Religion affects the way in which a given society’s economic system develops