Emile Durkheim's The Division of Labor in Society participates in the modern question of the function of society. Unlike Adam Smith and Karl Marx, Durkheim does not propose to answer social issues with philosophical discourse. His argument is not one of religious or ethical bent. Rather he attempts to describe patterns he sees, so he may be characterized as more scientific in his approach than contemporaries. Additionally Durkheim is writing about one very specific topic, not the thousandfold functions of a society.
For Durkheim, the issue of social success is one of willing cooperation. Everyone must be ready to participate in the game of society, or society itself will fail. The main bar on participation is the belief that work will not be appropriately rewarded. Consequently Durkheim proposes that a high diversity in the division of labor is the key to motivating people to cooperate. If everyone is working on something different from his neighbor, then he must ask his neighbor to share and be willing to also share with his neighbor. This sense of interdependence leads to a heightened sense of unity and harmony.
Durkheim explores the division of labor throughout the history of established society. He's analyzing the rise and fall of different societies through the lens of cooperation. He notes that societies with a high division of labor seem to experience "organic solidarity," or they cooperate cheerfully without prompting. Societies with a low division of labor, however, display "mechanical solidarity." This means they will cooperate, but only because they haven't found a way to take advantage of the system. Durkheim concludes that the issue of success in a society depends upon motivating individuals to want the society, as a whole, to be successful. He see the division of labor in the modern society as the most expedient solution and one which is well suited to the increasing technologization of the industrial world.
