個人と社会の異質性とディシプリンの変容

Durkheim’s sociology has been repeatedly criticized for placing society above individuals. Durkheim himself sensitively responded to this criticism, frequently mentioning the interpenetration of society and the individual. He believed that society transcends and dwells in individuals at the same time, and that society can exist only in and through individuals. However, Durkheim emphasized the heterogeneity of the individual and the social, or the “impersonality”of society. This contrasts with the idea, developed in the leading sociological theories of later times, that the practices of subject actors generate social reality. This idea may be important for locating Durkheim’s sociology within the disciplines. We argue that Durkheim tried to differentiate sociology from psychology by emphasizing the heterogeneity of the individual and the social, as well as by trying to develop new sociological research fields in other disciplines of the social sciences.