Western Influential
Thinkers
Thinkers
He is considered the founder of sociology
Who is August Comte
The name Comte wanted to call sociology so that it would be considered equal to that of the hard sciences
What is "social physics"?
Per Comte, this first stage of society, roughly before 1300s, had society organized around God as the central authority who gives legitimacy through the Church and Divine Rights of Monarchs
What is the Theological Stage?
This is legitimized or legitimated power
What is authority?
Comte's "Law of 3 Stages" advance in a way similar to what more famous scientist?
Who is Darwin?
This sociological framework argues social institutions are structured to maintain stability and order in society
What is Structural Functionalism?
Per Comte, this second stage of society, roughly between 1300-1800s, had society organized around philosophers as the central authority who gives legitimacy to ideas based on logic and reasoning.
What is the Metaphysical stage?
When consent or agreement has already been given.
What is legitimized or legitimated?
This natural philosopher argued humans are naturally evil, selfish, and competitive
Who is Hobbes?
This sociological theory argues the various institutions in society promote inequality and conflict among groups of people
What is Conflict Theory?
Per Comte, this third stage of society, from 1800s through even today, has society organized around scientists as the central authority who give legitimacy through empirical observation/evidence.
What is Positivism?
This is the ability to make someone engage in an act in spite of their resistance.
What is power?
Aimed to use reason and logic to prove the existence of god by finding "laws of motion" as God's "fingerprints."
Who is Newton?
This sociological perspective argues society is structured and maintained through everyday interactions and people's subjective definitions of their worlds.
What is Symbolic Interactionism?
An example of the transition from the Theological to Metaphysical stages is exemplified by these famed astrologers and sunny theory.
Who are Copernicus/Galileo and the heliocentric theory?
This final phase of society, according to Comte, gets its power from observation, evidence, data.
What is positivism?
In order to see how past thinking and worldviews still impact today.
What is the point of this category?
Similar to overt and covert curriculum within schools, Structural Functionalist like Merton claim these two kinds of institutional social functions as more obvious and intended, vs unintended, or hidden.
What are Manifest and Latent functions?
According to large lecture, the evolution of the Three Stages is overall one of moving towards scientific evidence and reason, and moving away from this.
What is speculation?
If there is resistance to authoritative power, this entity can use legitimized power, force, or violence to ensure compliance with its will.
What is the state?