Emile Durkheim

Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) was a French sociologist and philosopher and is regarded as one of the founders of modern sociology. After studying philosophy, he initially taught at secondary schools and from 1887 taught social science and education in Bordeaux. He later joined the Sorbonne. His major works include “The Division of Labour in Society” (1893), “The Rules of Sociological Method” (1895), “Suicide” (1897), and “The Elementary Forms of Religious Life” (1912). In 1896, he founded the journal L’Année sociologique, which became the center of an influential sociological school. Durkheim’s studies of social integration, religion, education, and the division of labour had a lasting influence on the social sciences. He was born in Épinal and died in Paris.