At the same time, Comte also sustained that solidarity needed a universal consensus or otherwise the social cohesion would have declined. Nevertheless Durkheim criticize his predecessor for not understanding that there was not just one society but different ones. .
Focusing on just the society would have meant to do mere philosophy, Durkheim instead, wanted to elevate it to sociology. Spencer, instead, raised the thesis that each individual pursuing his interests in economic exchange automatically create solidarity ( Giddens, 1978 ). Durkheim distances from Spencer because he does not think that at the basis of human evolution there is individual egoism. According to Spencer solidarity derives from a contract, on the contrary Durkheim believes that the contract is possible only if solidarity is already present. These are various theories that Durkheim took into consideration before writing his famous work on the division of labour. .
Solidarity is the main point of Durkheim's work; it helps him to reach his aim to hold a society together. The concept of solidarity was taken from what Comte used to define as consensus. In contrast to Comte, Durkheim distinguish two types of solidarity according to different models of society. Primitive societies do not present the division of labour neither individuality; there is, however, cohesion because all the members are similar and have to obey to their superiors. This one is commonly known as 'mechanical solidarity' because it remembers the molecules of an inorganic body. It is also governed by the collective conscience, innate in each individual; this is represented as a system of beliefs that guides the entire society and provides values that must be followed by everyone. It can be associated with religion at that primitive state (Thompson, 1982). .
The second type of solidarity that Durkheim pointed out is the 'organic solidarity'. It is typical of modern evolved societies, in fact it manifests itself through the division of labour and the interdependence of individuals gives the basis for social cohesion; each one have to rely on the others.
