SOCY 122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: The Division Of Labour In Society, Social Fact, Ralf Dahrendorf

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Social Sci, Edu and Soc Work - Sociology
• Course: SOCY 122
• Professor: Rob Beamish

Document Summary

Discourse on method 1637 in french. Eliminate knowledge based on prejudice or tradition (or religious precept) Discourse on method central concept: notion of radical doubt. Four rules to the discourse on method: accept nothing; reject prejudice, divide questions into simplest parts, begin with most simple move to more complex, review thoroughly. Radical doubt challenged established truths becomes central to the scientific enterprise. Method supported emerging inductive (observationally based) sciences. Significant to the development of sociology because his methodology proposed the notion of radical doubt . Hume, smith, ferguson, french philosophes, montesquieu, (encyclopedic thinkers) Variety of interests scientific, mechanical, philosophical, literary (emerging sociological) Perfectibility of humankind, progress (through scientific knowledge), dispel erroneous systems of thought. Landowner, philosophe, power of ideas, traveled widely, immersed in world of letters . Persian letters morality play, candid analysis of 18th century life in france. Considerations on the roman empire historically based analysis (not on exam) Not fortune but government action determines prosperity.