Sociological Theories of Law

Among the social sciences, sociological theories stand out among the most developed analytical perspectives that contemplate the role of law in society. Not only is sociology unique in offering theoretical perspectives on the place and transformation of the institution of law relative to the whole of society; it is also the case that sociologists have offered many of the important intellectual building blocks of other social theories of law. The two most central founders of sociology, Max Weber (1864–1920) and Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), developed elaborate theories of law without which no social theory of law today would be possible. In the further maturation of the sociological discipline, [Page 1411]theoretical interest in the study of law waxed and waned. Consistent in the sociological study of law, ...