THE TREATMENT OF KARL MARX IN EARLY AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY: A FAILURE OF PERSPECTIVE

The inquiry is a case study in the sociology of sociology. The central problem of the dissertation is to ascertain the nature of the reception accorded Karl Marx in early American Sociology and how that reception may be explained. The years 1895-1920 represent the beginning years of early American sociology.;Two of the major findings are that: (1) Marx and his works were rarely cited in the literature; and (2) in the few references which did exist, Marx's ideas were consistently received negatively. This negative reaction was not random but followed a pattern.;The negative reactions to Marx are broken down into six categories: (1) scientific inadequacy of Marx; (2) Marx as a mechanist and a determinist; (3) Marx in error concerning class and class struggle; (4) Marx as failing to consider the psychological realm; (5) Marx as a threat to individualism; and (6) Marx as attacking private property.;The remainder of the work accounts for how and why such a pattern occurred. A structuralist approach is utilized to explain the reactions to Marx. These reactions are visualized in relation to various structures in the environment of early American sociology. These contexts of structures impinged upon early American sociology, limiting and constraining the range and scope of its inquiry. The prevailing social formation is visualized as a global structure of individual structures, such as the economy, higher education, social science, sociology and the persistent value structure of American society. Determination is seen as complex and multiple. The role of the subject is seen as subordinate. Since these structures precluded any basic critique of American institutions, Karl Marx and Marxism were defined as being beyond the parameters of valid inquiry for sociology.;The organization of the dissertation follows from the basic nature of the problem. Chapter one introduces the problem and discusses the nature of the data employed. Chapter two is a consideration of the contexts of early American sociology. The rationale for chapter two is twofold. Since the problem of the dissertation is historical, this chapter serves as a contextual orientation to the era in which the problem is set. Secondly, it provides a foundation for the explanation of the reactions contained in chapter four. Chapter three is a presentation of the character of the reactions of early American sociologists to Karl Marx. Chapter four consists of an explanation of the reactions to Marx and Marxist socialism. Chapter five provides a summary and conclusions.