Sociology as History and Science

In his Foundations of Sociology, George A. Lundberg (1939) introduces his study with the caveat that our initial assumptions or hypotheses about societal behavior will determine the framework into which we strive to fit our data. As he explains, "changing conditions and changing experiences may . . . require changes in postulates, reasoning, or both" (Lundberg, 1939, p. 3). Because of the interplay of an apparently infinite number of variables within the human social framework, it is impossible for the sociologist to formulate a theory that is global enough to be scientifically reproducible. Sociological theory is thus in flux, as variable as human behavior itself.

Empirically confirmed hypotheses lend support to the theories from which they are derived, while empirically rejected hypotheses lead to a reevaluation of original assumptions. This ever recycling of the old

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and they must be fitted into the appropriate occupations. In other words, the channels of social mobility must remain open. According to Durkheim, a healthy society is one based solely on merit; thus, rigid forms of inequality, classes, and castes are overtly strict forms in the division of labor. The fact that society is an entity to be studied independently of its constituent parts is behind Durkheim's view on religion. In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Durkheim (1915) had a mysterious view of objective reality when he wrote: "A higher life disengages itself which, by reacting upon the elements of which it is the product, raises them to a higher plane of existence and transforms them" (Durkheim, 1976, p. 446). Durkheim's belief that even empirically verifiable scientific laws are rooted in a collective consciousness is bold in its assertion that the concepts of science do not get their authority from their objective value, but rather their force is drawn from collective opinion. Religion thus defines the universal nature of mankind. If one subscribes to Durkheim's view, objective truth turns out to be relative, dependent on the belief that science and religion obey the same laws. As Westby (1991) clearly state
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Sigmund Freud's, George Lundberg, Life Durkheim, Weber Marx, Human Male, Wright Mills, Emile Durkheim's, Social Sciences, Theory Durkheim, Robert Lynd, szacki 1979, mills 1959, westby 1991, social sciences, methodology social sciences, methodology social, weber 1949, lundberg 1939, human nature, lynd 1939, sociological theory, cited szacki 1979, mills 1959 164, scientific proof social, elementary forms religious,
Approximate Word count = 2016
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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