Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/115

 PROLEGOMENA TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 10 1

differentiated from individual psycholog)-, it would seem less easy to differentiate it from sociology. Is not this psychology of the functioning and development of social groups, it may be asked, just what is meant by sociology ? Is not a psychological interpretation of the social process the only " sociology " attain- able ? Many writers are inclined to answer such questions in the affirmative, but from our point of view the answer is plainly nega- tive. Sociology seeks an all-sided interpretation of the social process, while social psychology gives but a one-sided interpre- tation. Sociology seeks a complete view of the life of society, and, therefore, considers objective quite as much as subjective factors ; it turns to biology as much as to psychology for the explanation of societary facts ; it is a synthetic, philosophic dis- cipline which seeks to reach the widest generalizations concerning the life of society through a synthesis of the results of special sciences. Sociology, in brief, is social philosophy, and is no more to be identified with the special sciences from which it draws its materials than general philosophy is to be identified with a summation of the results of the special sciences. Social psychol- ogy, on the other hand, deals with but one aspect of the social reality, namely, the psychical life of social groups. It is a special science, though fundamental to all the other special social sciences on their subjective side, just as the biological "theory of popula- tion," or demography, may be considered fundamental to them on their objective side. As the fundamental subjective science of society, social psychology is one of the most important ele- ments in that final synthesis of subjective and objective socie- tary facts which sociology seeks to effect.

The beginnings of social psychology as a scientific discipline are to be found in the Volkerpsycliologie of Lazarus and Steinthal. But the ambiguity' in the German word, as well as the semi- mystical philosophy associated with it by some, are not to be

" ' Volkerpsychologie " is often, e.g., interpreted to mean "race-psychology." But, according to our position, there evidently could be a " race -psychology " only if the race be supposed to form in some sense a single society, a functional whole. Again, if by " Volkerpsychologie " is meant " the comparative psychology of races," it is evidently merely a chapter in genetic psychology, and is not "social psychology," as we have defined the science.