This Reader brings together a generous selection of readings from the original texts of the three major classical sociological theorists: Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim. The readings are deliberately of a substantial length to allow students to gain a full understanding of the texts. Organised in a clear and accessible manner, each reading is introduced by an editorial commentary which explains the importance of the piece within the context of the theorist's other work. The Reader is designed to be both a comprehensive introduction and a sourcebook for all students and teachers of social theory.
Section 1 Karl Marx: alienated labour; the theses on Feuerbach; "The German Ideology" and historical materialism; "The Communist Manifesto"; wage labour and capital; the preface to "A Critique of Political Economy"; the fetishism of commodities; the so-called primitive accumulation; selected correspondence. Section 2 Max Weber: "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"; class, status and party; bureaucracy; science as a vocation; definitions of sociology and social action; legitimacy and authority. Section 3 Emile Durkheim: "The Division of Labour in Society"; sanctions and mechanical and organic solidarity; the division of labour - causes of abnormal forms; "The Rules of Sociological Method"; "Suicide: a Study in Sociology"; religion and society.
