title: Emile Durkheim on Morality and Society (Heritage of Sociology Series)
author:  Emile Durkheim 
description: The first two sections of this volume set the context for the development of Durkheim's sociology of morality. Section I, 'The French Tradition of Social Thought, ' gives Durkheim's picture of how his sociology is to be situated relative to the general French tradition. Section II, 'Sociology and Social Action, ' shows Durkheim grappling with moral and political issues in his society and indicates the immediate social context of his thinking. The remaining sections indicate some of the major substantive areas of Durkheim's sociology of morality.
zlib_text:  
  EMILE DURKHEIM
  The French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, is a key figure in the development of
  sociology, and was largely responsible for the transformation of the earlier dif-
  fuse philosophy of Comte and others into a systematic discipline. This book
  examines his considerable achievements and situates them in their social and
  intellectual contexts, with a concise account of the major elements of
  Durkheim’s sociology. The author discusses the reason for Durkheim’s pro-
  found influence on subsequent developments in the subject, covers the histori-
  cal and political background of his work, and demonstrates his achievement in
  setting sociology upon a sound academic base.
  The book includes a critical commentary on the four main studies that exem-
  plify Durkheim’s contribution to sociology: The Division of Labour in Society;
  Suicide; The Rules of Sociological Method and The Elementary Forms of Reli-
  gious Life.
  Kenneth Thompson is Professor of Sociology at the Open University, UK.
  He has t