Examines major figures in social thought from the 17th to the 20th century. The course includes readings from the traditional canon - Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Simmel and Parsons - as well as critics of the canon from black and female writers. Major themes include the legacy of the enlightenment, increased differentiation between social, political and economic spheres, diverse theories of historical change, and how these authors have shaped contemporary theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary analysis.