Sociology and individualism in emile durkheim

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the theme of individualism in the sociological theory of Emile Durkheim in order to understand the validity of the criticism directed by its principal commentators to the primacy of the social field, the concern for order and the adoption of an anti-individualistic posture that pervades the full extent of his work. To this end, we promote a dialogue between the more recent approaches of Durkheim's work and the interpretations laid down by the sociological tradition, in order to check the weight that the French sociologist attributed to the individual and society in his theory.