Marx, Weber and Durkheim - Essay Example

Sociology and social philosophy have undergone fundamental changes through the works of several social philosophers, and pertinent theoretical contributions to the understanding of sociology were made by the social philosophers Marx, Weber, and Durkheim. While their theoretical perspectives on sociological questions differed greatly on fundamental questions, one may find several similar ideas and views in their social philosophies. More importantly, some of their conflicting ideas can be found similar in their original concept.

Thus, Weber had several similar concepts to Marx, though they differed in many essential questions, and it is possible to compare Durkheim with both Marx and Weber. In other words, the intellectual orientations of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim were influenced by each other and their sociological perspectives give evidence to it. A profound reflection of some of the analytic conceptions and broad historical perspectives of Max Weber, it becomes lucid that he assimilated the conservative, liberal, and socialist elements to transform and integrate them into the complex pattern of his works.

In fact, his cautionary critique against the apocalyptic social revolutionary predictions in Marx suggests that Weber opened himself to some of the influences from his opponents. Weber’s essential critique of Marx’s philosophy was the result of a thorough understanding of the various principles of Marxism. “Much of Weber's own work is of course informed by a skilful application of Marx's historical method. Weber, however, used this method as a ‘heuristic principle.’ As a view of world history, Marxism seemed to him an untenable monocausal theory and thus prejudicial to an adequate reconstruction of social and historical connections.

” (Gerth et al., 46-47) Weber criticized the apocalyptic social revolutionary predictions in Marx which emphasize a segmental perspective with great significance while reducing the multiplicity of casual elements to a single-factor theorem. However, Weber did not directly attack historical materialism as completely wrong, but opposed its claim if establishing a single casual sequence. “Part of Weber's own work may thus be seen as an attempt to ‘round out’ Marx’s economic materialism by a political and military materialism.

The Weberian approach to political structures closely parallels the Marxian approach to economic structures.” (Gerth et al., 47) Therefore, the cautionary critique of Weber against the apocalyptic social revolutionary predictions in Marx was the result of an essential attempt to direct the sociological theories in the exact way. The theoretical contributions of both Marx and Weber to social philosophy of their period were distinctive, though a historical analysis of these contributions emphasizes the differences in their ideologies.

Durkheim is another social critic who made pertinent contribution to the sociological perspectives of the period. To compare the works and theoretical contributions of Durkheim with that of Weber, the social and political elements of their period influenced their ideologies, though the former was never directly involved in the political and social issues of the time. “Durkheim did not ever play a very direct role in the politics of his time in the way in which, for example, Max Weber did; but it is hardly possible to understand adequately the nature of his concerns in his sociological writings without relating them to the concrete problems of his day, as he perceived them.

” (Giddens, 40)Therefore, it is important to point out that the intellectual orientations and dilemmas, along with the external social and political influences, determined the sociological perspectives of Durkheim, and he shared this characteristic of his social philosophy with Max Weber. In conclusion, the theoretical contributions of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim to sociology have significant similarities and they share the intellectual orientation and socio-political influences in common.Works Cited Gerth, Hans Heinrich et al.

From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology. London: Routledge. 1991. P 46-47. Giddens, Anthony. “Introduction: Durkheim’s writings in sociology and social philosophy.” Emile Durkheim: Selected Writings. Anthony Giddens. (Ed). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1972. P 40.