Artikel

Max Weber en Emile Durkheim: een proeve van vergelijking

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Abstract

Max Weber and Emile Durkheim: a specimen of comparison - It is a remarkable fact that Max Weber and Emile Durkheim even though they lived in the same period and knew of each others work never referred to one another in a positive or negative sense. One has insufficiently studied the relationship between the mutual avoidance of these famous founders of social science and the intrinsic differences of their respective sociology. Again and again people try either to accentuate their similarities or people - recognizing their unavoidable differences - see their sociologies as two halves of one sociological system. In both cases the divergences in their sociologies are camouflaged and the specific problems, which were of importance to both classics, are concealed. In this article the writer defends his position stating that notwithstanding the so-called agreements between Weber and Durkheim their conception of sociology, their methodology, theory, sociology of religion and political sociology are characterized by uncompromising and insurmountable oppositions. Their resemblance respectively their mutual completion is conceived as a myth. Weber and Durkheim represent two separate sociological traditions, which decidedly can fruitfully be compared with each other. This article starts with an exposition of some noteworthy similarities between the lives and the work of Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Then it proceeds with a first exploration of their mutual distinctions. This exploration is deepened with regard to their differences concerning their sociological theories and the way they manage the question of values and value-judgments. After the treatment of these fundamental oppositions the writer points out the differences both sociologists show on the decisive thematic domain of the sociology of religion. Finaly the distinctive character of their political convictions and ideas is demonstrated.

How to Cite:

Goddijn, H., (1979) “Max Weber en Emile Durkheim: een proeve van vergelijking”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 24(3), 215–245. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.96118