Edited by a leading figure in social theory, this Companion offers an indispensable resource and reference to the life and times of the thinkers who have tried to make sense of our social surroundings.

• Includes 12 original essays by leading scholars on major classical social theorists.
  
• Covers the key figures who shaped social theory, such as Marx, Weber and Durkheim, as well as additional classical theorists such as Harriet Martineau and W. E. B. Du Bois.
  
• Essays include biographical sketches, the social and intellectual context, and the impact of the thinker's work on social theory generally.
  
• Includes bibliographies of the theorist's most important works as well as key secondary works.
  
• Can be used in conjunction with The Blackwell Companion to Major Contemporary Social Theorists, edited by George Ritzer, for a complete reference source in social theory.