Writing with the needs of the undergraduate student in mind, the authors emphasize the continuities in modern sociological thought, and argue that many of the ideas of postmodern thinkers were anticipated by classical theorists. The introduction outlines the main elements of the sociological tradition and highlights its roots in the Enlightenment. The chapters that follow give detailed, sharply focused accounts of the main ideas of Marx, Weber and Durkheim, connecting them with more recent sociological theories and approaches.