An examination of the work of key figures and seminal institutions in the classical tradition and the agenda they provide for contemporary sociology. Bryan Turner, himself an eminent sociologist, defends classical perspectives as a living tradition for understanding social life. The first part of the book examines the theories of: Karl Marx; Max Weber; Karl Mannheim; Georg Simmel; Emile Durkheim; and Talcott Parsons. The second part includes debates on the family, religion, the city, social stratification, generations and citizenship.