In the Classical Tradition

In the Classical Tradition:
Modern Social Theorists, Critics & Prophets

by Frank W. Elwell
Rogers State University

In attempts to promote greater understanding of macro social theory, particularly its implications for social criticism and prediction, I have created an Internet web site on each of the individual theorists listed on the right of this page. I developed these web sites as aides for myself and my students to further our studies of these theorists. They were particularly chosen because they have used many of the insights of the classics in social theory, disciplined these insights with observation and data, and offer incisive commentary on the contemporary world order and seemingly rising chaos. Besides, few undergraduate theory texts cover these moderns at this time. Consequently, too few students are exposed to any systematic treatment of their theories. I have used the theories of these men and women in my own teaching and writing. I only wish to pass on some of their insights. Finally, the sites on many of the theorists were developed as part of my preliminary investigation of their work; they may or may not fit into my own personal pantheon, but they do bear investigation.

Alfred North Whitehead said that "a science which hesitates to forget its founders is lost." In this respect the teaching of social theory, particularly macro social theory, is too often focused on the founders. Undergraduate texts give ample discussion of the canonical works of Marx, Weber and Durkheim but little when it comes to the theories of contemporary practitioners. My book, Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists (Paradigm, 2006) seeks to remedy this with a focus on the work of four modern theorists who have taken on the larger themes of classical social theory. C. Wright Mills, Marvin Harris, Immanuel Wallerstein, and Gerhard Lenski have examined such phenomena and processes as the rise and impact of capitalism, the centralization and enlargement of authority, inequality, and the intensification of production and population. Borrowing what is useful from the classics as well as relying on contemporary practitioners and empirical evidence, each theorist adds his own insights and interpretations in constructing a comprehensive perspective of sociocultural stability and change. This book fully summarizes and documents each perspective using language and examples that resonate with the general reader. A short biography on each theorist is also provided.

I am currently working on Sociocultural Systems: Contemporary Expression of Classical Theory for the Edwin Mellen Press. This book is intended to introduce students to the classical social theory of T. Robert Malthus, Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber as well as the modern expressions of these perspectives. It does this through two mechanisms. First, it provides an overview and critique of four major classical traditions in sociology. Rather than discussing these theories as history, the book will focus upon elements of the perspectives that have proved useful in understanding sociocultural systems. Then, the book will provide an overview and critique of the perspective and analysis of two contemporary social scientists writing within each of these traditions. As modern representatives of Malthusian theory, the book will examine the theories of Gerhard Lenski and Stephen K. Sanderson. For contemporary followers of Marx the theories of Harry Braverman and John Bellamy Foster will be examined. Representing the Durkheimian worldview will be Stjepan Mestrovic, Robert K. Merton, and Neil Postman. Finally, modern day Weberians are represented by Norbert Elias and George Ritzer. The overarching goal of the book is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of each of the classical sociological traditions and their usefulness in understanding contemporary societies. Through study of contemporary social scientists such as Lenski, Braverman, Mestrovic, and Elias students will truly come to appreciate the breadth and depth of classical social theory as well as its usefulness in understanding contemporary and historical sociocultural systems. The book's concluding chapter demonstrates how the various perspectives detailed in the book are compatible with a comprehensive sociological worldview.

The exclusive emphasis upon macro social theory is important because it is central to the social science disciplines but often given only cursory and incomplete treatment in modern texts. Macro social theory—a comprehensive world view of sociocultural system stability and change—provides structure and guidance in understanding world events. The promise of such understanding is the primary draw for many students of the social sciences. Unfortunately, classical theorists are often treated as historical artifacts rather than useful guides in understanding sociocultural systems; nor are modern macro theorists given significant textbook treatment. This website and its companion (Great Social Theorists) will provide a vehicle for reintegrating macro social theory into the discipline. I believe Braverman, Wallerstein, and Foster do Marx better than Marx does Marx. I can get the richness of Weber’s perspective across to students through examining his influence on such exciting contemporary figures as Mills, Elias, and Ritzer. By examining the theory of Mestrovic, Merton, and Nisbet I can make Durkheim’s theories about the division of labor and anomie obvious and relevant in today’s world. Through an examination of classical theory as modified by contemporaries, I can demonstrate to students that sociological theory is indispensable in understanding the social world.

The Industrial Revolution continues. Recently, we have entered a "hyperindustrial" phase in which massive industrial and population changes begun in the 17th century are disrupting the remaining vestiges of traditional institutions as well as the norms and values of western societies. Drawing on the work of classical and neo-classical theorists, Industrializing America: Understanding Contemporary Society through Classical Sociological Analysis (Praeger, 1999) is an attempt to integrate and synthesize these insight into a comprehensive world view.