Emile Durkheim as One of the Sociologys Principal Founders - Essay Example

            Durkheim’s biggest goal with sociology was that he wanted it to be a quantitatively and scientifically method-heavy field. As a result, he wanted to take the scientific method that was used in the natural sciences and use it in society in an effort to describe and predict collective behavior. He believed that a collective consciousness was the glue, which bound everyone together in society. This consisted of beliefs, values, traditions, etc. which all served an important role in unifying society. With the rise of the industrial era and an increase in the segmentation of jobs, he worried that society was changing as the economy was destroying the collective unconsciousness. Instead, it was being replaced by the reliability and interconnectedness of economic principles.

            Being one of sociology’s principal founders, Durkheim played an important role in establishing sociology as a scientific field, rather than just as an abstract humanitarian course. This was achieved because of the emphasis he placed on taking the scientific method and applying it to society so that the research and discipline in the field would proliferate.  He died on November 15, 1917.