This module covers the work of the founding "fathers" of sociological theory. It discusses the most influential sociologists in the mid-19th-early 20th century period, in a way that emphasizes those conceptual and analytical contributions that remain relevant today. To demonstrate this relevance, the module refers to contemporary texts that update the work of the founders of sociology as a discipline. The module includes Tocqueville, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel.