A Comparative Study Of Durkheim’s And Bauman’s Moral Sociology

“How is a moral society possible” has always been a concern,and Durkheim and Bauman both gave their own responses to this.The existing researches believe that Durkheim and Bauman’s thoughts are huge different,and there is little comparison between the two thoughts.This research starts with Bauman’s criticism of Durkheim’s moral sociology in Modernity and the Holocaust.Through Bauman’s redefinition and distinction between“normal” and “abnormal” social facts,this research attempts to compare Durkheim’s and Bauman’s moral sociological thoughts.This research first explains the origin of moral sociology,and outlines the overall appearance of Durkheim and Bauman’s moral sociology.Secondly,this research compares the differences between Durkheim and Bauman’s moral sociological thoughts.Durkheim inherited the tradition of French social theory,using positivism and moral statistics methodology,to construct a moral sociology with new research methods and research guidelines based on moral facts,in response to social “disorder” problem.From the empirical study of the Holocaust,Bauman reflects on the moral conditions in modern society.Inspired by the “infinite responsibility” of Levinas’ ethics,Bauman regards morality as an individual‘s instinctive impulse and restores moral self to the individual.Bauman saw the suffocation of moral individuals in modern society,and believed that scientific methods should not be used to explain moral issues,and that the moral abilities of individuals should be emphasized,therefore he reflected on the socialized construction of an orderly society.Finally,this research explores the similarities and connections between Durkheim and Bauman’s moral sociology thoughts.They all believe that moral self and moral society are a process of mutual construction;morality plays an important role in promoting the construction of social order;and the essence of social life is a moral life.Through the comparative analysis of Durkheim and Bauman’s moral sociology,this research deepens the understanding of classic problems such as disorder and modern social hierarchical paradox.It also helps to explore the possible path of a moral society from a diverse perspective.