Sociology's Emergence: Key Thinkers' Views

Problems Regarding Sociology's Origin

As a formal science, sociology arose not because a specific field of study was discovered, but because other existing sciences explored certain areas of knowledge that required a new intellectual activity.

We studied the views of three authors on the origins of sociology:

Hobhouse

Distinguishes three roots from which sociology emerged: two of ancient origin (political philosophy and philosophy of history) and a more modern origin (Biology).

Of the two sciences of ancient origin, the need emerged to rely on more concrete facts and organize them in such a way as to allow and facilitate comparisons both over time and across countries and societies.

The search for these data favored the creation of a new discipline that owes its growth to the emergence of evolutionary ideas in the field of Biology (the later root source).

Thus, sociology emerged to complement the other sciences of man.

Schelsky

He sees the origin of sociology in the opposite direction of Hobhouse. For Schelsky, economics and philosophy evolved, becoming increasingly specialized.

Nineteenth-century economists focused on variables susceptible to the mathematical method, forgetting the general problems that had been examined and studied by Adam Smith and focusing only on the economic structure.

Philosophers, on the other hand, were focused more on formal aspects of reasoning and were unconcerned about the human aspects. The philosophers who addressed human factors were the first to whom sociologists turned. The early sociologists were disciples of Hegel.

Nesbit

This author holds a position somewhat between the above, adopting a more simple and pragmatic view.

For Nesbit, first, the Industrial Revolution destroyed the old order of things. Then there were the rationalist ideas of the Enlightenment which, as these ideas were expanded by the French Revolution in Europe, helped establish a new social order. For these three things were needed:

• Create a sense of community.
• Understand and address new forms of social stratification.
• Break the alignment that new social classes suffered.

The sociologists of the nineteenth century devoted themselves to seeking solutions to the problems posed by the disintegration of the old political structure and the new capitalist structure.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite the apparent diversity of opinions on what each author emphasizes, all basically agree on two points:

• Sociology developed not from a particular study topic.
• Sociology is the result of residual activity from other sciences, filling empty spaces in the intellectual field.