A rational reconstruction of Durkheim's thesis concerning the division of labour in society

Samenvatting

I. Lakatos's conception of historiography as rational reconstruction of research programs is briefly sketched & applied in a study of E. Durkheim's De la division du travail social (The Division of Labor in Society). Durkheim opposes (1) contractualism which grounds division of labor in the terms of the original social contract, (2) classical economy which explains division of labor in terms of homo economicus's attempt to maximize the material conditions of his existence, (3) utilitarianism, which extends the marketplace metaphor to all social interactions, & (4) evolutionism adding a historical perspective to the marketplace image (Spencer). Durkheim's account is based (A) on the notion of social solidarity & the relationship between social structure type & solidarity type & (B) on the thesis that differences in states of social solidarity depend on differences in social densities & volumes. Division of labor is defined as second degree specialization, involving qualitatively dissimilar activities. Durkheim's theory asserts that the requirements for increased division of labor (individualism, rationality, social mobility, education) result from increased social density. Social density results from excess birth over death rate, urbanization, & material production. Two anomalous forms of division of labor are examined: anomic (unregulated & uncoordinated), & forced (imposed by superior wealth or political power). A. Orianne.