“Bridging the gap between classical liberal social thought and academic sociology is the central task of this important and unique book. The abiding question that informs various chapters is why the very vast majority of mainstream sociologists resist the arguments and perspectives of classical liberalism. As the editors confirm, embedded in the history of sociology are figures and ideas that are just waiting to be rediscovered. “Who now reads [Herbert Spencer]?” may have buried him in that history, but the contributors offer new ways to make sense of what is missing in contemporary sociology and what sociologists have to gain intellectually and professionally by engaging with classical liberalism.”

Jonathan B. Imber, Wellesley College

Sociology has, since its beginning, been strongly influenced by collectivist and socialist ideas, something that has not been questioned in the sociological profession. Until now, that is, and through this volume, which is inspired by classical liberalism and libertarianism and which makes the case for a different set of values and their relevance for sociology. These values are freedom and individualism, as exemplified by the works of such seminal thinkers as Tocqueville, Spencer, Schumpeter, and several more. This edited collection has many interesting chapters and will hopefully lead to an interesting debate, primarily among sociologists but also among social scientists more generally.

Richard Swedberg, professor emeritus Cornell University

This vitally important collection offers a vision of sociology informed by the classical liberal tradition. In doing so, it attempts to revivify the idea of freedom in sociological theory and empirical research. In recent years, sociology has experienced a rising tide of illiberalism, a recrudescence of radical ideological orthodoxies that limit the intellectual range and scope of discipline and its relevance for enhancing classical liberal values: freedom of thought and expression, the autonomy and dignity of the individual, and the importance of fostering and protecting individual agency under conditions of modernity. This volume will be the new starting point for sociologists who wish to preserve and enhance a sociology guided by the classical liberal vision.

Thomas Cushman, Wellesley College