Question

He was concerned about the dangers that alienation, loneliness, and isolation might pose for modern industrial societies. He shared Comte's belief that sociology should provide direction for social change. Who is he?

Answer 1

Émile Durkheim, the social thinker who shared concerns with Comte about alienation in industrial societies and the role of sociology in social change, focused on social solidarity and anomie in his work.

Step-by-step explanation:

The individual concerned with the dangers of alienation, loneliness, and isolation in modern industrial societies and who believed that sociology should guide social change is Émile Durkheim (1858–1917). Similar to Auguste Comte, Durkheim is one of the principal architects of modern social science and had a profound influence on the field of sociology. His work focused heavily on the concept of social solidarity and the phenomena of anomie, which can be described as a societal condition where norms are confused, unclear, or not present. Durkheim's studies, including his seminal work, address how the weakening of social bonds and normative frameworks can lead to increased feelings of isolation and, consequently, higher death rates.

Durkheim was a functionalist and maintained that society was more than the sum of its parts. He detailed how individual behavior could not be understood solely in the same terms as collective behavior, emphasizing the importance of collective conscience in shaping societal norms and behaviors. This perspective was instrumental in understanding the interconnectedness of societal sectors and the impact of modernization and industrialization on social life.