Description:
Authored by the world-renowned sociologist Dr. Irving Zeitlin, Classical Sociological Theory is an abridged version of the popular textbook Ideology and the Development of Sociological Theory. Known for its comprehensive descriptions of classical sociological theorists and concepts from Enlightenment to the 20th century, this new, abridged edition features an updated introduction, extensive index, and 14 succinct chapters.
Dr. Zeitlin provides detailed explanations of essential philosophies; develops ideologies and theories within a historical context; and introduces readers to the classical critical thinkers of our time, such as Émile Durkheim, Karl Mannheim, Karl Marx, George Herbert Mead, Max Weber, and Mary Wollstonecraft. This is an ideal resource for undergraduate students of sociology, philosophy, social theory, and social psychology.
Brief description: Dr. Irving Zeitlin is Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University in the fields of Sociology and Anthropology, having specialized in the history of social and political thought. He has published over a dozen books on social theory and religion.
Review Quotes:
"This condensed version of Zeitlin's now classic textbook retains the wide-ranging spirit of the original by introducing students to the critical concerns shared by early sociologists, concerns that still animate many of the central debates in the discipline. A lively and thoughtful introduction to and immersion in the vitality of classical sociological thought."
--Dr. Mervyn Horgan, Sociology & Anthropology, University of Guelph
"As an analysis of classical sociological thought this book is unrivalled. No other author in the field can match the depth and precision of Zeitlin's work."
--Lord Anthony Giddens, King's College, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics