Sociological theories (classical)

The aim of the course is to familiarise those undertaking advanced studies in sociology with some significant components of the intellectual heritage of the discipline - the thought of a few European authors active from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, often referred to as "classics": Mark, Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel. They addressed two fundamental questions: 1) to what extent, how, why does modern society differ from other societal configurations from past history and to an extent surviving in parts of the world different from Europe? 2) how, if at all, can the answer to these questions be framed within a broader understanding of the nature itself of society?