Émile Durkheim
sociologist · 2 mentions across 2 readings
In this course
Durkheim is foundational here for theories of social evolution and punishment, particularly his concept of the loi d'adoucissement (law of softening) that tracks how societies "advance" by moderating penal intensity. The readings invoke him to historicize the relationship between social forms and control mechanisms—suggesting that changes in punishment reflect deeper transformations in how societies organize themselves, a logic that becomes crucial for thinking through how AI systems might similarly evolve or intensify control in contemporary contexts. His work anchors a genealogical argument about whether technological systems reproduce or interrupt historical patterns of social rationalization.
Mentioned in 2 readings
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