Classical Horizons: The Origins of Sociology in Ancient Greece

2003 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title This work relocates the origins of nineteenth-century social theory in classical Greece and focuses on three figures: Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Émile Durkheim, all of whom wrote dissertations on the culture and structure of ancient society. Greek philosophy, art, and politics inspired their ideas, stirred their imaginations, and defined their intellectual horizons. McCarthy rediscovers the forgotten dreams and classical horizons of these European social theorists and uncovers the close connections between sociology and philosophy, offering new insights into the methods, theories, and approaches of modern social science.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION: CRITIQUE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND RETURN TO CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY 1. KARL MARX: ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY AND THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY Science and Nature in Democritus and Epicurus Nature, Praxis, and Social Objectivity Classical Needs and Neoclassical Aesthetics Ancient and Modern Democracy Greek Social Justice and Political Economy in Capital Rationalization of Production and the Logic of Capital Greek Physics and Marx's Dialectical Science Classical Antiquity and the Ancient Mode of Production 2. MAX WEBER: GREEK TRAGEDY AND THE RATIONALIZATION OF SOCIETY Classical Antiquity and Ancient Capitalism Capitalism and Democracy in the Greek Polis Decline of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Modern Capitalism Nietzsche and the Origins of Greek Tragedy Existential Nihilism and the Perspectivism of Science History of Western Science from Plato to the Present Prophets of Positivism and the Politics of Science Rationalization and the Eclipse of Reason Classical Humanism and Historical Economics 3. EMILE DURKHEIM: GREEK POLIS AND THE SOLIDARITY OF THE CONSCIENCE COLLECTIVE Aristotle,Montesquieu, and the Foundations of Sociology Origins of Society in Rousseau and Aristotle Epistemology and Existentialism in Kant and Schopenhauer Platonic Rationalism and the Sophistry of Pragmatism Collective Representations as Social Epistemology Hellenic Solidarity and Modern Anomie Classical Pedagogy and Modern Politics Classical Justice Informing Social Democracy 4. AWAKENING CLASSICAL DREAMS: SYNTHESIS OF ANCIENT JUSTICE AND MODERN SOCIAL SCIENCE Notes Index

About the Author :
George E. McCarthy is the National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professor of Sociology at Kenyon College. His books include Objectivity and the Silence of Reason: Weber, Habermas, and the Methodological Disputes in German Sociology; Romancing Antiquity: German Critique of the Enlightenment from Weber to Habermas; and Dialectics and Decadence: Echoes of Antiquity in Marx and Nietzsche.

Review :
"At a time when the social sciences and social theory are moving away from a consciousness of their political and, even, moral purpose, McCarthy's account of the origins of sociology is timely. This book should be read by anyone concerned with the withering sense of purpose in the social sciences and social theory as well as those interested in classical sociology and the intentions of its founders." — European Journal of Social Theory "…a highly readable and scholarly book … it will be a classic in its own right. It should be required reading, not only for sociology and philosophy students, but for intellectual and cultural historians and teachers of humanities as well. — Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews "McCarthy's … erudition may very well render this work a contemporary classic in the continuing discussion of a maturing discipline." — CHOICE "McCarthy critically redefines the very nature of sociology. I do not think that there exist many scholars today who would have been daring enough to engage in such a daunting task. It needed a scholar and teacher who was trained both in philosophy and sociology, and mastered both. And he succeeds in presenting his work so accessibly, and so provocatively, that it should be used successfully in a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, political science, critical theory, economics, and literary criticism. This book will become a classic." — Judith T. Marcus, author of Georg Lukács and Thomas Mann: A Study in the Sociology of Literature "One of the most interesting and engaging social theory books I've ever read." —Norman Weiner, State University of New York at Oswego