Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber

by Anthony Giddens

Giddens's analysis of the writings of Marx, Durkheim and Weber has become the classic text for any student seeking to understand the three thinkers who established the basic framework of contemporary sociology. The first three sections of the book, based on close textual examination of the original sources, contain separate treatments of each writer. The author demonstrates the internal coherence of their respective contributions to social theory. The concluding section discusses the principal ways in which Marx can be compared with the other two authors, and discusses misconceptions of some conventional views on the subject.

Genres: Sociology, Politics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Economics, Theory, Social Science

261 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens (born 18 January 1938) is a British sociologist who is renowned for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29 languages, issuing on average more than one book every year. In 2007, Giddens was listed as the fifth most-referenced author of books in the humanities.

Three notable stages can be identified in his academic life. The first one involved outlining a new vision of what sociology is, presenting a theoretical and methodological understanding of that field, based on a critical reinterpretation of the classics. His major publications of that era include Capitalism and Modern Social Theory (1971) and New Rules of Sociological Method (1976). In the second stage Giddens developed the theory of structuration, an analysis of agency and structure, in which primacy is granted to neither. His works of that period, such as Central Problems in Social Theory (1979) and The Constitution of Society (1984), brought him international fame on the sociological arena.

The most recent stage concerns modernity, globalization and politics, especially the impact of modernity on social and personal life. This stage is reflected by his critique of postmodernity, and discussions of a new "utopian-realist"[3] third way in politics, visible in the Consequence of Modernity (1990), Modernity and Self-Identity (1991), The Transformation of Intimacy (1992), Beyond Left and Right (1994) and The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy (1998). Giddens' ambition is both to recast social theory and to re-examine our understanding of the development and trajectory of modernity.

Currently Giddens serves as Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics.

Reviews

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense and sometimes difficult to follow... but ultimately worth the effort. I'll have to reread this one once I don't have other classwork to worry about...

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember carrying this book around in a pocket of my shorts for a time at a turning point (in many ways the start) of my political development. I guess that was my version of "couldn't put it down".

[Naeem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in 1976 for a sociology class - a fabulous entry port.

[Lluis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué rabia no haber leído a Weber a aún... diría que este es un buen libro.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful resource if you're studying social theory. Giddens provides a good summary of Marx, Durkheim & Weber, while also detailing contrasts and comparisons in their work.

[Ege Atakan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marx, Weber ve Durkheim’ın çalışmalarının kapsamlı, yoğun ve karşılaştırmalı bir analizi. Klasik sosyal teori ve modern dünyanın anlaşılması için olağanüstü bir kaynak.

Temel ve alt başlıklar şu şekilde sıralanabilir:

MARX

1)Marx’ın Erken Dönem Yazıları
- Devlet ve “gerçek demokrasi”
- Devrimci Praxis
- Yabancılaşma ve Ekonomi Politik Teori
- Erken Dönem Komünizm Anlayışı

2)Tarihsel Materyalizm
- Materyalist Tez
- Sınıf-öncesi Sistemler
- Antik Dünya
- Feodalizm ve Kapitalist Gelişmenin Kaynakları

3)Üretim İlişkileri ve Sınıfsal Yapı
- Sınıfsal Egemenlik
- Sınıfsal Yapı ve Piyasa İlişkileri
- İdeoloji ve Bilinç

4)Kapitalist Gelişme Teorisi
- Artı-değer Teorisi
- Kapitalist Üretimin Ekonomik Çelişkileri
- “Yoksullaştırma” Tezi
- Yoğunlaşma ve Merkezileşme
- Kapitalizmin Aşılması

DURKHEIM

1) Durkheim’ın Erken Dönem Çalışmaları
- Sosyoloji ve Ahlaki Hayatın Bilimi
- Durkheim’ın “İşbölümü”ndeki Temel İlgileri
- Organik Dayanışmanın Gelişmesi
- Bireycilik ve Anomi

2) Durkheim’ın Sosyolojik Yöntem Anlayışı
- İntihar Problemi
- “Dışsallık” ve “Kısıtlayıcılık”
- Açıklayıcı Genellemelerin Mantığı
- Normallik ve Patoloji

3) Bireycilik, Sosyalizm ve “Meslek Grupları”
- Sosyalizmle Yüzleşme
- Devletin Rolü
- Demokrasi ve Meslek Grupları

4) Din ve Ahlaki Disiplin
- Kutsalın Karakteri
- Ayin ve Ritüel
- Bilgi Kategorileri
- Rasyonalizm, Ahlak ve “Birey Kültü”

WEBER

1) Protestanlık ve Kapitalizm
- Erken Dönem Çalışmalar
- Kapitalist “Ruh”un Kökleri
- Çileci Protestanlığın Etkisi

2) Weber’in Metodolojik Yazıları
- Öznellik ve Nesnellik
- Olgusal Yargılar ve Değer Yargıları
- İdeal Tip Kavramlarının Formülasyonu

3) Sosyolojinin Temel Kavramları
- Yorumcu Sosyoloji
- Toplumsal İlişkiler ve Toplumsal Davranış Biçimleri
- Meşruiyet, Egemenlik ve Otorite
- Piyasa İlişkilerinin Etkisi: Sınıflar ve Statü Grupları

4) Rasyonelleşme, “Dünya Dinleri” ve Batı Kapitalizmi
- Din ve Büyü
- Hindistan ve Çin’de Teodise
- Laik Rasyonalizmin Yayılması

KAPİTALİZM, SOSYALİZM ve SOSYAL TEORİ

1) Marx’ın Etkisi
- Almanya’da Toplum ve Siyaset: Marx’ın Hareket Noktası
- Weber’in Marksizm ve Marx ile İlişkisi
- 19. Yüzyılda Fransa: Marx ve Marksizmin Gelişimi
- Durkheim’ın Marx Değerlendirmesi

2) Din, İdeoloji ve Toplum
- Marx ve Weber: “İdeoloji” olarak Din Problemi
- Laikleşme ve Modern Kapitalist Değerler Sistemi
- Marx ve Durkheim: Din ve Modern Bireycilik

3) Toplumsal Farklılaşma ve İşbölümü
- Yabancılaşma, Anomi ve “Doğa Durumu”
- İşbölümünün Geleceği
- Bürokrasi Problemi
- Sonuç

4) Sonsöz: Marx ve Modern Sosyoloji

Yukarıda kitabın boğuştuğu soruları merak uyandırıcı şekilde kümelendirerek sosyoloji ile ilgilenen, ilgilenmeyen herkesi cezbetmek istedim ve bu kısa merak yazımı Weber’in “Protestan Ahlakı ve Kapitalizmin Ruhu”nda yer verdiği ve bu kitapta “Laik Rasyonalizmin Yayılması” alt başlığında geçen bir alıntıyla bitirmek istiyorum:

“Bireyin uzmanlaşmış bir işle sınırlandırılması, bu uzmanlaşmanın getirdiği, insanların Faustçu evrensellikten vazgeçmeleri gerekliliğiyle birlikte, modern dünyada değerli işin bir koşuludur: Bu yüzden, işler ve bu vazgeçme günümüzde zorunlu olarak birbirini biçimlendirir. Orta sınıf hayatın özünde çileci özelliği, bir hayat tarzı olarak ve eksiksiz bir biçimde sürdürülmesi koşuluyla, Goethe'nin, kendi bilgeliğinin doruğunda, gezinti yılları (Wanderjahren) içinde ve Faustuna hayat verdiği hedef içinde öğretmek istediği şeydi. Ona göre, gerçekleştirmek bir vazgeçiş, kuşkusuz kesinlikle kültürel gelişmemiz sırasında antik Atina kültüründe yeşerebilecek olandan daha fazla tekrarlanamayacak tam ve güzel bir insanlık çağından ayrılmak anlamına geliyordu.”

[Beatris Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

surprised by how quite dense the information that this book holds is, i'd likely have to conduct a second read in order to comprehensively the nuances. it has provided me with a thorough yet simultaneously general analysis and comparison of three prominent figures in sociological history.

[Nitin Tomer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book. Highly recommended for those interested in sociology.

[Kaci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely something I will reread in the future as the content is rather ‘heavy’ at times, however was extremely useful for my studies and all round insightful

[Lara]

lectura facultativa !!

[haryii · Rating 5 out of 5]

不怎么好读但本身很好的教材（？）

[Umitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phd nedeniyle okumak zorunda kaldığım, iyi ki de kalmışım dediğim kitap.

[Lucía Vijil Saybe · Rating 5 out of 5]

No toda teoría está excluida necesariamente de las relaciones de producción. Mark, Durkheim y Weber lo confirman. Analizando a los 3 escritores, me llama la atención donde Marx dice que determinado tipo de economía presupone un determinado tipo de sociedad y la alienación en la producción parte de un "hecho económico contemporáneo". La necesidad de la auténtica democracia para que supere los límites de una propiedad privada en esencia el socialismo.
Durkheim, bajo su argumento de que la diferenciación social es característico de la evolución de los procesos tradicionales a los procesos modernos de una sociedad. Las causas de un hecho social están determinadas por la misma coersión y anomia de la misma. La solidaridad orgánica y mecánica no se alejan de una "conscience collective" que es la mente de la sociedad y que determina por lo tanto el funcionamiento del individuo en colectividad.

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's first three parts are an exposition of the ideas of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, respectively and as such quite basic stuff comparable to any 'classics of sociology' book. The most interesting and original part is the comparative section where Giddens makes some useful corrections to prevailing (at the time) interpretations of the three thinkers. This is also where Giddens sets the stage for his later work that culminates thirteen years later in 'The Constitution of Society'. For people familiar with the three thinkers, I'd skip straight to the last chapter. Otherwise, an excellent read.

[Tara Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent overview of the major social theorists, with some decent emphasis on the accomplishments of Durkheim, whose work I hold in special esteem through Criminal Justice classwork.

Unless you're comfortable reading dense material in one sitting, this isn't something I'd reccommend reading in a day (as I did on the train.) I think I'd prefer splitting each reading into different subsections, with a little more time and emphasis on each for greater understanding.

[Mohamad Jaber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this thinking it was about modern welfare economics (I might have been drunk when I thought that) what I found instead was a classical sociological work depicting the three major theorists; Marx, Durkheim, and Feber. The part about Marx offered nothing new to my already overblown readings in socialism, but the ideas of Durkheim on ethical disintegration and the need for a new paradigm and the essence of protestant capitalism offered a beautiful new perspective.

[Luke Echo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of Marx, Durkheim and Weber. Draws out some of the similarities and divergences on particular points. If you are very familiar with the original writers you could probably just read the final Part IV on the comparative.

I thought I read somewhere that this was in fact Gidden's PhD thesis work in some sense which does make a certain kind of sense.

[Gustavo Marques · Rating 2 out of 5]

É um compêndio sobre a teoria de Marx, Durkheim e Weber. É útil para um primeiro contacto com cada um dos autores. Embora, posteriormente, seja mais importante a leitura das obras completas de cada um dos autores, e menos o apropriamento da reinterpretação teórica de Giddens.

[Alastair Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively reasonable review of the work of Marx, Durkheim and Weber. Something I wish I'd bothered to read as an undergraduate, although originally written in 1972, still has relevance to contemporary debate

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the three thinkers in the title, and could be an extremely valuable resource. That being said, it does little to reinforce them if you have already read them, and doesn't exactly tie them together in a way which the reader may wish/be led to believe.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grad school,sociology,sociological thory

[Jessica Zu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for teaching! I probably will have my undergrads read parts of it ... someday, in my course on social theories of religion for 3rd or 4th year students.

[Setjoeil Asa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modar. Ra dong. Tur emboh ngopo pengin wae neruske tekan rampung.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for understanding the big 3 (dead white dudes) in Sociology

[Kukuh Siswoyo]

good