Comparing Marx, Durkhiem, and Weber's Perceptions of the Development of Society from Pre-Modern to Modernity

Comparing Marx, Durkhiem, and Weber's Perceptions of the Development of Society from Pre-Modern to Modernity

Sociological perspective has benefited from Marx, Durkhiem and Weber’s

theories, regarding human nature and the development of their

societies. Each one had their differing characteristics. Marx saw

class conflict and Capitalism central to his theory, whereas Durkhiem

concentrated on Industrialism and the division of labour and Weber

rationalization and bureaucracy. Marx had three major features in his

analysis, mainly how goods and services are organized; the conflicts

which arise and how it motivates change from one system to another.

Although Auguste Comte established sociology and some of the original

disciplines Emile Durkhiem is responsible for turning the subject into

a more academic discipline. One of Durkhiems main principles was to

consider ‘facts as things’ and his ‘Organismic analogy’ idea maintains

that societies are like living organisms. He believed that the only

way one can analyze the complete picture, is to look at all the parts

and its contribution. Weber became known for the social action within

sociology, or interpretive sociology, and believed that as individuals

we are capable of very meaningful actions which go a long way to

define our choices and future. He places less importance on external

forces and statistical data, but rather the meanings attributed to

social actors which he called ‘Verstehen’. Sociology in Focus. Pg

657-667.

Weber{1864-1920} emphasized the effects of external and constraining

social facts on indivi...

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... society.

Marx relied too much on historical events and put to much importance

on external factors carving out people’s destinies in a definite way;

instead individuals have freedom of choice to alter their own

destinies. The economic issues surrounding the superstructure of ideas

and culture do not fully explain the modern cultural conflicts of

gender, nationalism and ethnicity. The prediction of a more polarized

division of class, central to Marx’s theory has developed into a

middle class emerging instead, with everyone enjoying a higher

standard of living, with the acceptance of capitalism. Instead of a

false ideology at work, society enjoys more civil liberties, material

progress and stronger democracies than most other systems. Sociology

in Focus. Paul Taylor et. al. Causeway Press Ltd. Pg 33-34. Pg

657-660.