Ideology, History, & Classical Social Theory

1. Ideology, History, & Classical Social Theory • What is a theorist? • Observes • Seeks order

2. Why are Theories Created? • Need • Impose order • Prediction & control

3. Theories Change • Same experiences theorized in different ways • Example: The Universe

4. Geocentric Model Of Universe

5. ARISTOTLE’S UNIVERSE

6. Current View of Universe • Humility –Carl Sagan • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8GA2w-qrcg

7. What is a Social Theory? • Organized, verifiable ideas to explain society & social behavior • Creates order • Makes sense of world & our place in world

8. The Development of Social Theory • Historical Context • French Revolution (1789) to WWI 1919 • Dramatic Changes • Economic • Social • Political • Intellectual

9. Economic Changes • Feudalism • Industrialization • Capitalism • Socialism

10. Social Changes • Urbanization • Religion

11. Political Changes • Revolutions • Democracy • Feminism • Abolition

12. Intellectual • The Enlightenment • Science • Biology • Psychology

13. Development of Social Theory • Change • How people made sense of world • Change after decades of little change • Cause of change

14. Mw 9/8 Ways of thinking about Change • God’s will • Linear (progress) • Cyclical • Dialectic

15. Linear Change

16. Cyclical Change

17. Dialectic Change

18. Life Before the Enlightenment • Absolute monarchy/divine right • Church-centered • Original sin • Religious warfare • Church and state linked • Most Europeans’ daily lives survival

19. Life After the Enlightenment • Importance of the Individual • Turned away from Church & aristocracy • Looked to themselves • Used scientific method to understand social and political relationships • Religious toleration • Freedom of press and speech

20. Life After the Enlightenment • Happiness – Not in hereafter but in this world • Progress – Humankind could improve • Reason– Truth discovered (not given)

21. Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment • 1500-1700: European scientists used reason to discover laws of nature • Astronomy • Galileo discovered Moon’s craters (1609) and Milky Way Galaxy • Biology • Robert Hooke-> Discovered cell (1665) • Chemistry • Edward Jenner-> Vaccine for smallpox (1796)

22. Scientific Revolution & Enlightenment • Early 1700s: People used reason to find laws of physical world. • Why not use reason to discover laws thatgovern human nature—social world? • Ex: Solutions to societal problems

23. Major Enlightenment Ideas • Solve social, political, and economic problems Reason • Governments create->orderly society • All men created “free and equal” • Free market regulate trade

24. Enlightenment Thinkers Thomas Hobbes John Locke 1588-1679 1632-1704

25. John Locke Thomas Hobbes • Humans are naturally cruel, greedy, and selfish. • To escape “brutish” life people enter into asocial contract. • Onlypowerful government could ensure orderly society. • Onlyabsolute monarchy keep society completely orderly. • Humans are naturally reasonable, moral and good • Humans have natural rights: life, liberty, and property • People form governments to protect natural rights • Government-limited power • If government violates people’s natural rights, people have right to overthrow government

26. The Enlightenment • Ways of knowing • Ideology • Reason • Science

27. Ideology • Justifies existing social conditions (Value-laden) • Examples: • “Divine right of kings” • Colonialism • Racism • Sexism

28. Reason • Knowledge through rational processes • Universe operates based on “laws” • Humans have: • Free will • Intelligence • Control destiny & environment

29. MW Tr 9/9 Science • Scientific methods • Guidelines for: • Gathering • Interpreting information • (Value free)

30. Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)

31. Background Born in Paris July 29, 1805 Father was royalist who supported the Bourbon Monarchy Age 16 -> college to study philosophy Finished College at age 18

32. Alexis de Tocqueville • 1831, obtained assignment to examine prisons and penitentiaries in America • Did visit some prisons • Also traveled widely • Returned in less than two years • Published a report on prisons • “Democracy in America” (1835)

33. Equality and Democracy • Tocqueville recognized that America was unique • America never had a: • Monarchy • Feudalism • Established church • Or other privileged classes

34. Equality and Democracy • Absence of these conditions, and an abundance of land made American democracy possible. • One great agrarian middle class • Also extremes of wealth and poverty • Extremes were relatively rare (in Tocqueville’s time)

35. Equality and Democracy “What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.” --Alexis de Tocqueville

36. Equality and Democracy • According to Tocqueville, American Revolution produced high degree of social equality • American democracy gave considerable power to the middle and lower classes.

37. Aristocracy and Democracy • Democracy, individuals free to move up and down the social structure becoming rich or • Poor according to their abilities and efforts • Aristocracy means that positions are ascribed and fixed for all time

38. Equality in America • Tocqueville believed in the inevitable advance of democracy and equality. • This advance was part of modernization.

39. Democracy and Equality • Democracy--the extension of the political franchise from a few aristocrats to the people. • People were becoming more equal in wealth, education, and culture. • In short, democracy leads to equality.

40. Family • Tocqueville--One of first casualties of advance of equality was decline of primogeniture. • Primogeniture is the common law that eldest son inherits entire estate. • With its end, equality had spread to the relations between fathers and sons and among brothers.

41. Family • Previously, family held together by bonds of property and inheritance. • Eldest male would take care of the elderly to inherit the estate. • As the property bond declined, it was replaced by bonds of personal loyalty and affection.

42. Commodification • Pervasive nature of commodification in American life • Equality leads to ceaseless striving for social position.

43. Commodification “As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?”

44. Tyranny “If democratic peoples substituted the absolute power of a majority for all the various powers that used excessively to impede or hold back the upsurge of individual thought, the evil itself would only have changed its form...

45. Tyranny “For myself, if I feel the hand of power heavy on my brow, I am little concerned to know who it is that oppresses me; I am no better inclined to pass my head under the yoke because a million men hold it for me.” --Alexis de Tocqueville

46. Saint-Simon (1760-1825) • French social philosopher

47. Social Environment • American Revolution • Served on side of colonists • French Revolution • Made a fortune in land speculation • Increasing industrialization • The Enlightenment

48. Saint-Simon’s Ideas • Promoted study of nature • Nature & society governed by laws • Reorganize society • Wise men • Scientific division of labor • Spontaneous social harmony

49. Saint-Simon’s Ideas • State’s 3 responsibilities 1.Public works 2.Free education 3.Uplifting recreation

50. Saint-Simon’s Ideas • “Industrial army” • Construction of roads, bridges, canals, planting forests • Organism as metaphor for society • Science-> replace religion