Émile Durkheim
1858–1917 · French · Late 19th Century
Known for: Father of sociology who proved that even suicide is a social phenomenon, not just a personal one
Methodical, serious, and committed to establishing sociology as a science. His study of suicide showed it was shaped by social forces—revolutionary.
Devastated by his son's death in World War I, he never recovered. He was austere and dedicated to work.
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