This course explores the work of the four founders of sociological thinking: Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Simmel. Students will read on issues ranging from the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the rise of the nation-state and bureaucracy, and the division of labor in modern society, to the mental reaction to the metropolis. Through the reading of these complex writings, the course will provide a thorough understanding of the promises and curses of modernity, as they are perceived within competing sociological frameworks.