| Overview
The
Science of Society
Emile
Durkheim (1858—1917): “...Durkheim conceives of sociology as the scientific
study of social facts.... In terms of its methodology, Durkheim’s sociology
is based on the maxim that social facts must be considered as things.”
(pp.57,58)
The Social
Division of Labor
“The
central purpose of Durkheim’s work is to construct a science of society
as a moral order and to discover empirically how social solidarity is maintained
in modern society despite the growing autonomy of the individual that resulted
from the division of labor.” (p.59)
Law and
the Evolution of Society
“...law
serves as an indicator of social solidarity and, specifically, the development
of mechanical to organic solidarity, which Durkheim argues can be observed
in the evolution of law from a repressive to a restitutive system.” (p.62)
Law and
Rights
“...in
contemporary (organic) society, crimes against the person and against personal
property arouse the greatest resentment and receive the harshest sanction
because they violate a morality that places the qualities of the individual
above all else.” (p.63)
Law and
Punishment
“Corresponding
to his ideas on the evolution from mechanical to organic societies, Durkheim
specifically forwards two theses on the evolution of punishment. The first
thesis holds that punishment is less intense in more developed societies
in which the central power is not absolutist... For his second thesis...,
Durkheim... argue[s] that punishment in modern society becomes typically
a deprivation of liberty.” (pp.65,66)
The Legacy
of Durkheim
“As
in the case of Max Weber, the influence of the writings of Durkheim in
modern sociology is so profound that it is impossible to conceive of sociology
without his contributions.” (p.66)
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Selected
Online Articles (external links)
 Durkheim,
Emile. (1900) 1981. "The
Realm of Sociology as a Science." Translated by Everett K. Wilson.
Social Forces 59(4):1054-1070.
Durkheim,
Emile. (1893) 1967. De
la division du travail social. Paris: Les Presses Universitaires de
France. Eighth edition. [ at
Les classiques des sciences sociales]
Durkheim,
Emile. 1893. "L'origine
de l'idée de droit." Revue philosophique 35:290-296. [at
Les classiques des sciences sociales]
Durkheim,
Emile. (1900) 1922. Leçons
de Sociologie: Physique des Mœurs et du Droit. Paris: Les Presses Universitaires
de France. [at Les classiques
des sciences sociales]
Durkheim,
Emile. 1901. “Deux
Lois de l’Evolution Pénale.” Année sociologique 4:65-95.
[at Les classiques des sciences
sociales]
Merton,
Robert K. 1934. "Durkheim's
Division of Labor in Society." American Journal of Sociology 40(3):319-328.
Tiryakian,
Edward A. 1964. “Durkheim’s
‘Two Laws of Penal Evolution’.” Journal for the Scientific Study of
Religion 3(2):261-266.
Schwartz,
Richard D. and James C. Miller. 1964. "Legal
Evolution and Societal Complexity." American Journal of Sociology 70(2):159-169.
Cartwright,
B.C. and R.D. Schwartz. 1973. "The
Invocation of Legal Norms: An Empirical Investigation of Durkheim and Weber."
American Sociological Review 38(3):340-354.
 Baxi,
Upendra. 1974. "Durkheim
and Legal Evolution: Some Problems of Disproof." Law & Society
Review 8(4):645-652.
Clarke,
Michael. 1976. “Durkheim’s
Sociology of Law.” British Journal of Law and Society 3:246-255.
Turkel,
Gerald. 1979. "Testing
Durkheim: Some Theoretical Considerations." Law & Society Review
13(3):721-738.
Spitzer,
Steven. 1984. “The
Embeddedness of Law: Reflections on Lukes and Scull's ‘Durkheim and the
Law’.” Review Essay. American Bar Foundation Research Journal 9(4):
859-868.
Cotterrell,
Roger. 1991. "The
Durkheimian Tradition in the Sociology of Law." Review essay. Law &
Society Review 25(4):923-946.
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Mathieu Deflem. The pull quotes are copyrighted by Cambridge University
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