Marx, Weber and Durkheim on historical forces

The nineteenth century in England was a transitional time from feudalism to capitalism, that was characterized by a rapid increase in industry and extreme poverty among the masses. In response to these conditions, a new concept of society, called socialism, came into being. However, despite the clash between those who believed in capitalism and those who advocated socialism, the real dispute was between those who believed in the power of individual ideas and those who …

…are grounded in an ideological framework and need this framework in order to function. This framework, in turn, is developed by human thinkers. At our present stage of capitalism, we need the values of individualism in order for the society to function. These values are important until we reach Marx’s last stage, the stage of collective consciousness that will lead us to communism. However, in order to reach this stage, we still need individualism.