Science, Class & Society: On the Formation of Sociology & Historical Materialism

by Göran Therborn

Science, Class and Society offers the first comprehensive comparison of classical sociology and historical materialism, two rival traditions established by figures like Comte, Durkheim, Weber, Pareto, Marx, and Engels. The author begins by critiquing four prominent 'self-reflective' sociological accounts, then delves into the history of economics during the Enlightenment, tracing its evolution from Smith and Ricardo to Jevons and Keynes. Sociology, born amidst the French Revolution and maturing before the Russian Revolution, emerged to address escalating class conflicts and industrial unrest in 19th-century Europe. Therborn argues that sociology's key achievement was identifying the 'ideological community' as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry, akin to the 'market' in classical economics. The book concludes with an analysis of Marxism's formation.

Genres: Sociology

461 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Göran Therborn is a professor of sociology at Cambridge University and is amongst the most highly cited contemporary Marxian-influenced sociologists. He has published widely in journals such as the New Left Review, and is notable for his writing on topics that fall within the general political and sociological framework of post-Marxism. Topics on which he has written extensively include the intersection between the class structure of society and the function of the state apparatus, the formation of ideology within subjects, and the future of the Marxist tradition.

Reviews

[Geoff Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading this after some years was impressed. Very good although it starts oddly. Perceptive discussion of origins of sociology from a Marxist perspective, he defines classical sociology as an alternative response to capitalism. Final part is his Althusserian interpretation of Marxism. Best attempt I have seen to make sense of Althusser's theory of science and actually link it to empirical analysis. I liked argument that science explains by the unfamiliar.