Classical Social Theory: An Introduction to the Thought of Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Simmel - Hardcover

This textbook is designed to introduce students to social theory, concentrating on the founding thinkers of sociology. To contemporary students, the thought of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel may seem out of date and irrelevant compared to the more pressing questions posed by issues of race, gender, and the environment, but in this book Ian Craib shows the value of studying these classic thinkers. Providing an account of their key ideas, Dr Craib establishes their contemporary relevance and enduring significance in terms of their contribution to understanding contemporary problems. The author pays attention to each of the thinkers' key texts, quoting long passages and devoting subsections to unpacking various texts in a straightforward way. Other student-friendly features include biographical details and an elementary overview of the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel. A dramatis personae at the end of the book, with brief details of the life and thought of other relvevant thinkers is provided and a glossary covering important terms and phrases used in the text is also included.

Dr Ian Craib is Reader in Sociology, University of Essex. He is the author of Modern Social Theory: From Parsons to Habermas (Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1984).