Course Title: Sociology

BSSE
Credit Hr#03
instructor: Miss Hina Rasul
 Unit # 02
Historical Development of Sociology
• Historical development introduction
• August Comte (1748-1857)
• Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
• Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)
• Max Weber (1864-1920)
 Learning Outcomes
1. Identify the current goals of sociology.
2. Compare and contrast the three main
sociological theories in sociology.
3. Apply social theories correctly to
examples of current or historical events.
4. Analyze specific sociological topics,
utilizing the major theoretical models that
are appropriate for each specific topic.
 The development of Sociology
• Sociology of today is the product man’s old experiences and
observation
• Originated as special decipline in 1836 by Auguste Comte, a
French with the name of “Social phyisics” . However foundation
was laiddown by Allam Ibn-e-Khaldoon (1332-1406) with name
“Illmul-Imran” – study of people.
• Social upheaval in Europe during the late 1700s and 1800s
encouraged scholars to closely study society.
• European scholars such as Auguste Herbert Spencer, Karl Marx,
Émile Durkheim, and Max Weber made important contributions
to the development of the academic discipline of sociology.
• The Chicago School of sociologists introduced new ways to
analyze society.
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Three changes are important in the development of Sociology:
•A new Industrial Economy:
– Industrial revolution in Europe
– Inventor used source of energy – power of moving water and then
steam to operate large machines in mills and factories.
– Changes in the system of production separated the families and
weaken the traditions.
•The growth of Cities
– Factories drew people in need of work
– Push (unemployment, insecurity) and Pull (batter jobs, security,
environment) factors
– Cites grew unprecedented size. Urban dwellers contended with
many social problems, pollution, crime and homelessness.
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• Political changes
– In early time people viewed society as an expression of God will:
Royalty claimed to rule by “Divine right”
– Focus on individual liberty and right
– American and French Revolutions (1789)
 Early European Scholars
Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857)
• Considered the founder of sociology
• Studied social order and social Dynamics
Herbert Spencer(1820 – 1903)

• Compared society to a biological organism

• Helped create Social Darwinism, “Survival of the Fittest”

Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)

• Linked societal conditions to the economy

• Believed economic imbalance would lead to conflict

 August Comte (1798-1857)
• August comte was the
father of sociology
• Comte first used the
term sociology in print
in 1838.
• He argued, in 1838,
that the methods of
science should be
applied to the study of
society.
August Comte: Scientific methods

• Comte hoped that sociologists would use

scientific methods to gain knowledge of
the social world.
• Then they would advise people about how
life ought to be lived.
The Law of Human Progress or The Law
of Three Stages

• Theological Stage
• Metaphysical Stage
• Scientific Stage
 Theological Stage
• During the earlier stages, people believe
that all the phenomena of nature are the
creation of the divine or supernatural.
Comte broke this stage into 3 sub-stages:
Fetishism:
 Fetishism was the primary stage of the theological stage of
thinking. Throughout this stage, primitive people believe that
inanimate (non-living) objects have living spirit in them, also
known as animism. People worship inanimate objects like
trees, stones, a piece of wood.
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Polythesim:
 At one point, Fetishism began to bring about doubt in the
minds of its believers. As a result, people turned towards
polytheism. Primitive people believe that all natural forces are
controlled by different Gods; a few examples would be God of
water, God of rain, God of fire, God of air, God of earth, etc.
Monotheism:
 Monothesim means believing in one God or God in one;
attributing all to a single, supreme deity. Primitive people
believe a single theistic entity is responsible for the existence
of the universe.
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Metaphysical stage:
• People saw society as a natural rather
then a supernatural system.
Scientific Stage:
 A scientific approach to knowledge based
on positive. This approach is called
positivism.
Focus on Social Statics and social
Dynamic
• August comte establish two specific
problems for sociological investigation.
 Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)
• Spencer devised a theory to
explain the problem of
social order and social
change.
• Spencer compared human
societies to living
organisms. The part of an
animal, such as the lung, and
the heart are interdependent
and contribute to the
survival of the total
organism.
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• Similalry, spencer argued, the various
parts of society, such as state and
economy, are also interdependent and
work to ensure the stability and survival of
the entire system.
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• Spencer applying Darwin’s theory of
evolution to human societies.
• He argued that they gradually evolve from
the forms found in the ‘Primitive societies’
of the world to the more complex forms
found in the industrializing societies of his
own time.
 Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• The third and most
important of the nineteenth-
century social thinker was
Karl Marx (1818-1883).
• Marx was Father of Conflict
theory.
• He saw human history in a
continual state of conflict
between two major classes:
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Bourgeoise
Proletatiay
Bourgeoise:
 Emile Durkhiem (1858-1917)
• The french sociologist.
• Durkhiem dealt with the
problem of social order.
• He argued that societies
are held together by the
shared beliefs and
values of their members,
especially as these are
expressed in religious
doctrine.
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• Durkhiem moved sociology fully into the
realm of an empirical science.
• Most well known empirical study is called
suicide , where he looks at the social
causes of suicide.
• Generally regarded as the founder of
functionalist theory.
 Max weber (1864-1920)
• German sociologiest
Max weber.
• Weber work was a
critique or clarification of
Marx.
• Weber was also
interested in
bureaucracies and the
process of
rationalization in society.
Lecture 02 End