The Methodology of Emile Durkheim's Social Theory

Emile Durkheim’s main concern is social solidarity. Accordingly, most of his theories pivot in some way on this basic issue. His theories are the genesis of a kind of methodology, according to which independent existence and regarding social realities as objects in a completely secularist view in relation to ontology. Therefore, treating exact natural sciences and human sciences in relation to epistemology as identical, reducing man’s identity to a social identity and regarding social actor's attitude towards social structures in relation to anthropology as passive are some of the most important epistemic foundations of this theory. These very epistemic foundations make the acceptance of this theory problematic in view of the methodology of neo-Sadrian philosophy. The methodology based on gradation in existence, metaphysical as well as physical kinds of existence in relation to ontology, revelatory, intuitive and intellectual methods as well as the empirical method and thus combining the empirical and intellectual explanation, the interpretation and criticism in relation to epistemology and human immaterial soul and man's invariable identities as well as variable social identities in relation to anthropology are considered among the most important epistemic foundations of this methodology. This incompatibility and confrontation between these two methodologies necessitates more precision in applying this theory when modern science is reconstructed and religious science is revised.