Emile Durkheim
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What are your thoughts on Emile Durkheim? Do you favor his positivist approach to the study of social science — or do you favor the more radical and conflict-cenetred approach taken by Karl Marx?
Answer:
Emile Durkheim is known as a founding figure of sociology and is famous for his work on the integration of individual and society, referred to as social order. He saw society as a reality that exists objectively, independent of individuals and their subjective interpretations, and argued that sociology should be a positive science based on empirical evidence, free of value judgements.
Karl Marx, on the other hand, is known for his conflict theory, which posits that societies are characterized by class conflict and struggle between different groups over resources and power. Marx saw society as being shaped by economic and material factors, and viewed it as inherently unjust, with the ruling class exploiting the working class.
Both Durkheim’s and Marx’s approaches have been influential in the development of sociology and continue to be studied and debated by sociologists. Some scholars argue that Durkheim’s work provides a more nuanced understanding of social order and stability, while others argue that Marx’s conflict theory provides a more critical and transformative perspective on society.