Émile Durkheim as Negative Foil: The Creation of a Contested Legacy Through Collective (Mis)representation

• In Event: National, Transnational, and International Histories of Sociology and Social Thought

Abstract

Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Karl Marx are generally considered the founding fathers of sociology. Durkheim’s work has been influential in certain areas of the social sciences and humanities, yet beyond this recognition his reception is more checkered. In many fields Durkheim remains a marginal figure, if not one that is actively derided. This contribution explores this legacy and what it reveals about the social sciences and humanities. It first discusses the most prominent tropes, or recurring themes, related to Durkheim’s work that have negatively influenced its reception. It then focuses on examples of particularly harsh treatment of Durkheim by prominent philosophers, sociologists, and political scientists, including John Searle, Charles Tilly, Theodor Adorno, Zygmunt Bauman, and Jacques Derrida. Each author’s assessment does two things. First, it plays into the various aforementioned tropes. Second, it uses Durkheim as a negative foil to promote a preferred research paradigm. These responses reveal less about Durkheim than they do about the social sciences and humanities themselves, including which research paradigms are dominant and what their biases are. The essay thus seeks to explore the interpretative and conceptual obstacles that have hindered Durkheim reception. The essay will defend Durkheim’s legacy, demonstrate the ways he remains relevant, and argue for a reevaluation by scholars in relevant fields.

Author

• Paul Carls, None