Émile Durkheim, a French Sociologist Who Rose to Prominence GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Émile Durkheim, a French sociologist who rose to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is credited with being one of the principal founders of modern sociology. When Durkheim began writing, sociology was not recognized as an independent field of study. As part of the campaign to change this scenario, he went to great lengths to separate sociology from all other disciplines, especially philosophy.

Durkheim’s perspective differed from other sociologists of his era as his theories were founded on things external in nature such as social facts, as opposed to those internal in nature, such as the motivations and desires of individuals. As per him, social phenomena arise when a certain reality emerges from the behavior of interacting individuals, but this same reality cannot be explained in terms of the characteristics of individual agents. For instance, he could argue that social formations such as gangs, political parties and associations are composed of individual members, but the macro outcome resulting from such organizations operates on a different level and produces results that would not occur on an individual level. He, therefore, believed that the society was far superior to any of its individual components and could hence exert a coercive power on individuals to lead them to acceptable levels of satisfaction. His idea was that happiness and wants are tied to each other. He said, “To pursue a goal which is by definition unattainable is to condemn oneself to a state of perpetual unhappiness... To achieve any other result, the passions first must be limited. But since the individual has no way of limiting them, this must be done by some force exterior to him”.This exterior force of course in his opinion was the society.

“Émile Durkheim, a French Sociologist Who Rose to Prominence” - is a passage for the GMAT that addresses reading comprehension. Candidates must have a firm understanding of GMAT reading comprehension in English. This GMAT reading comprehension section consists of three comprehension questions. The purpose of the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions is to assess a candidate's capacity to understand, evaluate, and apply knowledge or ideas. By responding to the GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions section, candidates can actively practice.

Solution and Explanation

1. Which of the following statements best summarizes the information that is the primary subject of this passage?

1. clarification of a certain point of view concerning society
2. the acknowledgement of a topic as constituting its distinct area of study
3. the body of work and the concepts developed by a prominent sociologist
4. demonstrating that a sociologist from the 20th century is head and shoulders above his contemporaries
5. recognition and respect for a certain perspective on the function of society.

2. Based on the information presented in the next section, which of the following claims is more plausible?
   (This is the second to last sentence in the second paragraph)
   ​If you want to sentence yourself to a condition of permanent dissatisfaction, you should aim for goals that are impossible to achieve by their very nature. Limiting one's desires is the first step in achieving any other outcome you want. But since the person has no control over them, this must be done by an external force because there is no other option.

1. The abundance of options open to human beings may lead to the "problem of plenty," which can result in feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction.
2. When left to the person's discretion, no outcome can be achieved other than sadness.
3. If you want to avoid disappointment and misery in life, don't bother establishing any goals for yourself.
4. People will never stop chasing after material goods beyond their reach, and as a result, they will never find true pleasure in their lives.
5. Because a person cannot rein in his desires, he must rely on society to satisfy his needs and desires because of this inability.

3. Which of the following statements is made by the author of the passage?

1. The first attempt by a sociologist to distinguish sociology and philosophy as two distinct sciences was made by Durkheim.
2. Individuals' interactions with one another, as Durkheim proposed, give rise to the emergence of a social phenomenon.
3. According to Durkheim, desires always result in misery.
4. In the latter half of the 19th century, Durkheim began his career as a worker in the area of sociology.
5. There has never been any sociologist who has developed ideas based on external factors as Durkheim did. Therefore his viewpoint on society is unique.

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