Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/582

 568 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

another name for metaphysics and of that Germany has had already enough.

If, then, sociology is to make a place for itself as a science in the complete sense of the term, it must mark off its territory, it must define the complex of phenomena which it attempts to bring under general conceptions. Within the vast circle of the psychical sciences sociology must announce precisely the section which it proposes to cultivate so far as it is possible in the psychical sciences to give a precise account of method or of material.

I assign to sociology as a science the phenomena of the forma- tion of social groups. Sociology is, accordingly, not the theory of society, merely, but rather of socialization.

Sociology in this view has a dual task, a formal or descrip- tive, and a normative or aetiological. In the first place it is the task of sociology to investigate socialization with respect to its forms. The mere facts must be registered and brought under general rubrics. The more dignified task, on the other hand, and that which is properly scientific, is to investigate and declare the psychical motivation of association. We have before us, for example, the historical fact of a crusade. In pragmatic research and representation the historian has given us the pertinent details. He has pictured the separate factors peoples, knights, clergy, and so forth. He has completed his task as historian by giving us a picture of the prevailing culture of the times, of the moving ideas and ideals. Now comes the sociologist, and to him a new problem presents itself. Before him is the fact that many peoples combined, "associated," or "socialized" them- selves for the conduct of a war. In what relation did the asso- ciated peoples stand to each other? Assuming that his researches yield him the result that the peoples concerned stood to each other in the relation of superiority and subordination, the sociologist in question has thereby solved one portion of his problem. That is, he has found the form in which socialization proceeded toward a given purpose. Now arises, however, the further question : What impelled these peoples, who, under other