Professional Ethics and Civic Morals

In Professional Ethics and Civic Morals Durkheim outlined the core of his theory of morality and social rights which was to dominate his work until his untimely death in 1917. Durkheim saw sociology as a science of morals which are objective social facts: these moral regulations form the basis of individual rights and obligations. The book is crucial for understanding Durkheim's sociology, because it contains his much neglected theory of the state as a moral institution. It is also essential for understanding his critique of anomie and egoistic individualism. The growing interest in cultural revolution and moral regulation associated with recent contributions to historical sociology, make this second edition of Durkheim's classic work especially timely. It shows that Durkheim had worked out a position on the modern state which is a genuine rival to the Marxian and Weberian traditions. Durkheim's stress on the moral regulation of everyday life concentrates on current concerns with individual freedom and the contours of permissible behaviour. It is an essential resource in understanding the state and society and a crucial work in modern social theory.