Abstract:

Many social construction theories grounded on Enlightenment Reason consider specialization of social functions and differentiation of social fields as the drive behind social progress. But Enlightenment Reason doesn't concern the relations among different social fields or functions in the condition of social specialization nor does it deal with their integration. Illuminated by Marcel Mauss's ideal about “total social fact，” the author tries to construct a concept of “total social organization” to study Durkheim's imagination on corporation. The author contends that the aim of conceptualizing corporation for Durkheim is to harmonize the manmade conflicts between the state and the individual； between socialism and individualism； between the functions of politics， economy， and morality. Corporation is a mediating， total social organization. Though this imagination of Durkheim's can be criticized as being simplistic or Utopian， it can nevertheless inspire us to penetrate and overcome the deficiencies of social life in the context of extensive social specialization.

Key words: Emile Durkheim, corporation, social specialization, total social organization, total social fact, social solidarity