Viewpoints of Durkhiem, Karl Marx, and Adam Smith

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Durkheim: What makes society progressive is the growth of a nation towards the better. What makes a nation powerful and grow is the division of labor. It has been apparent over the centuries of technological growth that within a society the more societal advancements there are, the more division of labor there is within the nation. Durkheim considered the division of labor has a natural law, one that not only was in humans but all organisms. Durkheim felt that although everything should be divided into his or her own labor, it was all for the greater good, the social solidarity. The social solidarity meant that everyone worked separately for the same outcome at the end. He brings in different types of laws to characterize the different types of social solidarities they bring with it. Mechanical and organic solidarity are what he mentions and each one is completely different from one another. Criminal laws and their respective punishments promoted mechanical solidarity, which was a sense of unity that results in individuals engaging in similar work who come from the same backgrounds. Civil laws promote organic solidarity; it is a society that individuals engage in different kinds of works that benefit society as a whole. He explains that nations with a more mechanical viewpoint have less developed societies because the diversity and division of labor is much less, so individuals share similar views of life and so do not bring different thoughts into society. However nations in organic view points have more diverse occupations therefore people rely on each other more, which results in greater benefits to the society. KARL MARX: Marx viewed the increase in specialization leads workers to be less enthusiastic for their work and l... ... middle of paper ... ...bundance of the society. This means that the standard of living is raised even for the most poor. Like Durkheim, Smith felt that it led to an interconnectedness of the laborers and society overall. However unlike Durkheim that saw the division of labor to be a great thing that is needed in order for a nation to grow, prosper, and be merry. Adam Smith viewed the division more as a negative thing. He understood that with the separation it meant that time was spent more productively but he felt that it lead to a “mental mutilation” of the workers because all the did was the same thing. Because they kept doing the same piece of labor multiple times he sensed that over time the worker would grow tired of it and falter in doing the one job they were placed with. He understood that a person who does well in one task should use their best qualities and stay with that task.

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