Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber

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Cambridge University Press, 1971 - 261 pages
This book offers a new analysis of the works of the three authors who have contributed most to establishing the basic framework of contemporary sociology. Recent scholarship has illuminated important aspects of the ideas of Marx, Durkheim and Weber, but has also given rise to a variety of divergent interpretations of their writings. One of the main objectives of Capitalism and Modern Social Theory is to dispel some of the obscurities and misunderstandings which have resulted. The first three sections of the book, based on close textual examination of the original sources, contain separate treatments of each writer. Mr. Giddens is particularly concerned to demonstrate the internal coherence of their respective contributions to social theory. The concluding part of the book discusses the principal ways in which Marx's standpoint can be compared and contrasted with the other two authors, showing that some of the conventional views on this matter are misconceived.

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Contents

V
1
VI
18
VII
35
VIII
46
IX
65
X
82
XI
95
XII
105
XV
145
XVI
169
XVII
185
XVIII
205
XIX
224
XX
243
XXI
248
XXII
255

XIII
119
XIV
133

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About the author (1971)

Anthony Giddens, a British sociologist, was educated at Hull, the London School of Economics, and Cambridge, and is a fellow of King's College, Cambridge. His interests have been varied, but they tend to focus on questions related to the macro-order. Much of his theoretical writing deals with stratification, class, and modernity. Although he has concentrated on dynamic issues of social structure, he has also examined how social psychological concerns are part of this broader order of human relations.

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