Émile Durkheim is often referred to as the father of sociology. Along with Karl Marx and Max Weber he was a principal architect of modern social science and whose contribution helped established it as an academic discipline. "The Division of Labor in Society", published in 1893, was his first major contribution to the field and arguably one his most important. In this work Durkheim discusses the construction of social order in modern societies, which...

Wilson admits in the preface of his book that “virtue has acquired a bad name.” However, people make some kind of reference to morality whenever they discuss whether or not someone is nice, dependable, or decent; whether they have a good character; and what some of the aspects of friendship, loyalty, and moderation are that are informed by morality. Although people may disguise this language of morality as a language of personality, it is, in...

"Beard's interpretation proposes that the Framers of the Federal Constitution were motivated primarily by economic concerns. This argument was widely held until the late 1950s, when it was gradually undermined by later research, much of it stimulated by Beard's work. Although most scholars today see the origins of the revolution in terms of the history of ideas, especially republicanism, Beard's work remains fundamental and has insured a continued...

The title of this book, Adventures of Ideas, bears two meanings, both applicable to the subject-matter. One meaning is the effect of certain ideas in promoting the slow drift of mankind towards civilization. This is the Adventure of Ideas in the history of mankind. The other meaning is the author's adventure in framing a speculative scheme of ideas which shall be explanatory of the historical adventure. The book is in fact a study of the concept of...

Early history of man and its effect on our current problems.

Through brilliant profiles of ten influential persons of the period, this book sharply illuminates the social, political and cultural setting of the Second Empire. The author paints a gallery of vivid portraits. These fascinating character studies evoke the dazzling and wonderful world of mid-nineteenth century France, a world confronted with -- and giving answers to -- moral crises and questions still pertinent to our own age.