Emile Durkheim
1858 - 1917 • French Sociologist
Emile Durkheim, along with Max Weber and Karl Marx, established the field of sociology, the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. Prior to Durkheim, the bulk of research into humans was done by biologists and naturalists.
Durkheim studied at École Normale Supérieure, a selective and prestigious graduate school, where he found himself at odds with the French academic system due to his unique approach to his studies and research. His interest in Auguste Comte, a French Philosopher, and Herbert Spencer who came up with the theory of Social Darwinism, inspired him to take a look at society through a scientific lens before sociology was an established filed. |