Classical Social Theory

This course examines the theoretical foundations of sociology as a discipline. It focuses on the key ideas and perspectives developed by classical social theorists in their analyses of basic features of social life, the making of modern society and the consequences of modernity. In particular, the contributions of major thinkers such as Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber are discussed against the backdrop of the social and intellectual contexts of their times. In understanding the pivotal influence of such contributions on the development of the discipline, the subject also considers their continuing relevance for analysing social change in the contemporary world.