Fall, 2002

Sociology 773

Intermediate Sociological Theory

Instructor:	Charles Camic

8143 Social Science

Phone: 262-2753

Office Hour:	Friday 3:00 - 4:00

(or by appointment)

Course Description: Against the backdrop of Cartesian reservations about the possibility of a "science" of the social world, this course will examine several of the major justifications that have been historically offered for constructing such a science; the various conceptions of the nature of the social world that have accompanied such justifications; and the application of these conceptions to the study of religion. The figures to be examined are: Comte, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, and Parsons. Classes will be organized to enlist the involvement of all participants in the analysis of assigned readings.

Requirements: All participants in the course are expected to stay abreast of the assigned readings and to participate actively in discussions thereof. They are also required to submit a research paper (of approximately 15 pages) by the December 5 class meeting, and to take an in-class final essay exam on December 12. The paper assignment will be described in a handout that will be distributed following the class meetings on Comte.

Grading: The research paper will constitute 40% of the course grade, participation 20%, and the final exam 40%.

Readings: The majority of reading assignments will be found either in the packet of xeroxed materials (hereafter cited as READER) available at the Social Science Copy Center or in one of the following seven books available at the University Book Store. The READER and the books are also on reserve in Helen C. White Library.

Emile Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method, and Selected Texts on Sociology and Its Method, edited by Steven Lukes. (SM)

Emile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New translation by Karen E. Fields. (EF)

G.W.F. Hegel, Hegel: Texts and Commentary, edited by Walter Kaufman. (HTC)

Karl Marx, Karl Marx: Selected Writings, edited by David McLellan, second edition. (MSW)

Talcott Parsons, The Structure of Social Action. (SSA)

Max Weber, Economy and Society. (ES)

Max Weber, The Methodology of the Social Sciences. (MSS)

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Schedule of Topics and Assignments

September 3	Course Organization

Prologue

September 5	The Cartesian Challenge: Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

-Assignment:

Selections from Rules for the Direction of the Mind; Discourse on Method; and Principles of Philosophy in READER

The Varieties of Sociological Positivism

September 10-19	Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

-Assignment:

Auguste Comte and Positivism, (edited by G. Lenzer), pp. 71-101, 163-319, 381-389, 393-398, 442-447. (On Reserve, H.C. White Library.)

September 19-26	Emile Durkheim (1858-1917).

-Assignments:

i)	Selection from Montesquieu and Rousseau in READER

ii)	Selection from The Division of Labor in Society in READER

iii)	SM, pp. 31-150

iv)	EF, pp. 1-44, 207-241, 418-448

Idealism and Its Vicissitudes

October 1-8	The Philosophical Context

-Assignment:

HTC, pp. 6-110 (even numbered pages only)

October 10-29	Karl Marx (1818-1883)

-Assignments:

i)	MSW, pp. 46-120, 146-208, 212-233, 245-262, 380-480, 530-544, 563-64

ii)	Selections from Karl Marx: On Religion in READER

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October 31-	Max Weber (1864-1920)

November 21

-Assignments:

i)	MSS, pp. 50-112, 135-188

ii)	ES, pp. 3-28, 399-451, 468-480, 500-529, 541-576, 611-
634

Finale: The American Distallate

November 26-	Talcott Parsons (1902-1979)

December 10

-Assignments:

i)	"On Certain Sociological Elements in Professor Taussig's
Thought" in READER

ii)	SSA, pp. 1-74, 87-102, 451-70, 591-628, 727-75

iii)	Selection from Societies in READER

iv)	"Christianity" in READER

v)	"Belief, Unbelief, and Disbelief" in READER

December 12	FINAL EXAM