Final answer:
Durkheim believed that social facts shape individual behavior and that society is greater than the sum of its parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Émile Durkheim believed that individuals are part of society, but to study society, sociologists must look beyond individuals to social facts. These are the laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, customs, and rituals that govern social life. Durkheim argued that these social facts help shape individual behavior and that society is greater than the sum of its parts.