Covering all the major schools of thought within classical sociology, and considering how they have been subjected to changing interpretations and appropriations subsequently over the last 100 years and more, Classical Social Theory: Roots and Branches leads the reader through an often complicated terrain with lucidity and authority.

It gives a vivid sense both of what major theorists and schools said, and also of why they argued as they did, reacting against, challenging and further developing the ideas of predecessors and contemporaries, and seeking to understand often bewilderingly rapid and unsettling social changes.

David Inglis demonstrates the limitations and outdated aspects of classical social theory, as well as highlighting the continued vibrancy of classical sociology, its ongoing relevance for contemporary debates across the social sciences, and its essential contribution towards understanding the changing world around us today.