Durkheim and Marx

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the central philosophical differences between Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx and explains that these are what eventually culminate in Marx's "Marxism" and Durkheim's indeterminate status in sociology. The paper explains how the differences between Marx and Durkheim's interpretations of social institutions reveal the weakness inherent to both. Durkheim chose to take a purely mystical perspective regarding society; it was the outcome of abstract notions and social norms. Marx, on the other hand, saw it as purely a materialistic structure; it was based upon tangible and physical realities. The paper contends that neither can be completely accurate, but both maintain a level of truth as well as value for the future.

From the Paper:

"Emile Durkheim's reasoning skill and complexity of thought have made him one of the most renowned and celebrated social theorists of all time; however, rather unlike most other sociologists who have received similar levels of praise like Marx or Weber there are very few scholars today who could be termed "Durkheimians." This suggests that there is fundamentally something about his thought that is remarkable apart from the conclusions he reached: Durkheim's power to illicit deep thought and analysis from his readers comes through, largely, the questions he raises about society. Ultimately, it would seem that his terrific ability to view human society from a tangential perspective has allowed him to pose key questions about facets of our lives that commonly go unnoticed."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Durkheim, Emile. The Division of Labor. New York: the Free Press, 1947. Available: http://www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/courses/DIVLABOR.HTML.
• Marx, Karl. Karl Marx: Selected Works. Reader, 2006.

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