Kenneth Thompson has been based at the Open University in the United Kingdom since 1970. He has held visiting professorships in recent years at Yale University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

• Introduction Part One— Sociology—Its Nature and Programme Reading 1 Sociology and the Social Sciences Reading 2 Review of Antonio Labriola, Essays on the Materialist Conception of History Part Two— Division of Labour, Crime and Punishment Reading 3 The Division of Labour in Society Reading 4 Two Laws of Penal Evolution Part Three— Sociological Method Reading 5 The Rules of Sociological Method Part Four— Suicide Reading 6 Suicide Part Five— Religion and Knowledge Reading 7 The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life Reading 8 Primitive Classification Part Six— Politics Reading 9 Professional Ethics and Civic Morals Reading 10 Socialism Part Seven— Education Reading 11 The Evolution of Educational Thought Reading 12 Moral Education Bibliography of Durkheim's Major Works