Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/583

THE PRESEXT STATUS OF SOCIOLOGY IN GERMANY 569 circumstances, would have fought each other, to association? The common purpose to rescue the Holy Sepulchre. This common purpose had its source in a common will, which, in turn, in the case before us, is determined by common religious conceptions. Thus, in the last analysis, religious conceptions and feelings are the psychical motivation of this association. Herewith is a considerable portion of the task of sociology performed in outline. It is no concern of sociology what significance this occurrence had for the development of European civilization; that it resulted in establishing the hegemony of one state over another; that it made Europe acquainted with Arabian-Greek philosophy, and in consequence philosophical thought was led into unwonted paths; or that new vistas were opened to art by contact with the Orient. All this and much more belongs outside the frame of sociology. In like manner sociology will not extend its investigations to the economic circumstances and conditions which were grounds for this undertaking, or which followed upon it; what forms and dimensions the taxes assumed which were levied for this purpose; how this taxation affected the further tax system, and so forth. All this is to be investigated by the historian of national economics.

Another example may be cited. Suppose a stock company is formed. Economic science has taught us the conditions, circumstances, and foundations under and upon which stock companies may and should be established. They are of no further interest to sociology, any more than are the questions whether the company has much or little prospect of profit, whether it proposes to establish a textile factory or to work a gold mine. Sociology is content with the fact of the formation of a society, and inquires in the first instance merely after the relations of the members among themselves. If it is a voluntary association the members stand to each other in the relation of coördination. Their association is essentially impersonal. The capital alone is bound to it, and the relations of the members to each other grow out of their common property right in the active capital. There consequently results a whole complex of forms and diversified