Classical Social Theory and Modern Society Marx, Durkheim, Weber [Hardcover]

This substantive volume offers an overview of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber's theories of society. ?Focus on only three theorists is justified given that these three are most often seen as the founding trilogy of sociological thinkers in discerning mechanisms for explaining the profound transformations of society following industrialization and the Enlightenment. ?Royce orients on the unique interpretation of modernity from each theorist with more depth on themes regarding the individual, politics, and the economy. . . .Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduate collections.Royce has produced an erudite and highly readable book designed to introduce student readers to the three most important formative figures of modern sociology: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. His command of the relevant literature is impressive, as is his ability to convey complex ideas in a comprehensible was for the intended audience. The book does an excellent job of revealing the contemporary relevance of this trio of thinkers by linking their work to four major themes: the modern condition, the fate of the individual, state and democracy, and socialism and capitalism. By concluding with the last of these themes, Royce points to the role of the sociological imaginary in envisioning an alternative world where greater social justice and equality prevails.Royce's skillful analysis focuses on questions of continuing significance (modernity, individualism, democracy, and socialism). He provides clear and concise overviews of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, effectively defining and explaining key ideas, outlining points of connection, and developing the comparisons among the three theorists. Without losing his own clear voice, Royce writes with close attention to, and frequent citations from, primary texts. This will resonate with students who are simultaneously reading the primary texts, and will give students for whom this is their only exposure to Marx, Weber, and Durkheim a taste lóG