4. The true nature of anomie

Abstract

First of all, I wish to say I feel extremely honored for having been invited to participate in this special session, and, for this, I wish to thank Ruth Wallace, Melvin Kohn and the other members of the Program Committee. Secondly, and most important, I must apologize for my weak linguistic capacities and my terrible French accent. I hope you will forgive me since, after all, a rather strong touch of French accent is perhaps not inappropriate in the course of a session on Durkheim. This session is defined as an anniversary session. Anniversary of what? No doubt this year is the seventieth anniversary of Durkheim's death. It is also the hundredth year anniversary of the real beginnings of Durkheim's sociological career, particularly with regards to his texts on German social sciences which will be analyzed by Robert Jones. 1987 is also the centenary of the introduction of sociology into the French University, through the creation of the Cours de science sociale et