Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/267

 STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY IN UNITED STATES 255

8. Seminary in economics and sociology. Designed for advanced students who have shown ability successfully to undertake individual research. The subjects for investigation may be taken from the field of either economics or sociology, but it is intended that they shall have some degree of unity. Considerable attention is given to training in statistical methods. Professor Weatherly and Assistant Professor Rawles.

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY.

8. Social psychology. Includes a study of the more important recent books on social psychology. Lectures. Introduction to research methods and problems. Tarde, Social Laws; Baldwin, Mental Development. Professor Bryan.

DEPAUW UNIVERSITY ASBURY COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS.

POLITICAL SCIENCE.

PROFESSOR WEAVER.

Unity and scope of the department : This department embraces specifically the science and philosophy of the state or society politically organized. But as this depends so. essentially on organized society in general, the science and philosophy of society fall naturally within its scope. Although the state springs logically from organized society, yet for the sake of clearness the theory of state is studied before sociology; the latter, being more complex and indefinite, demands more intellectual maturity. Then follow the special phases of political science, viz., those of law and economics. It is believed, furthermore, that none of these subjects should be divorced from ethics, particularly the practical part, which may be denominated its art ; and, although history forms a distinct department, this does not imply that its vital impor- tance is overlooked in this department. On the contrary, it is emphasized at every step, since all social theory and philosophy must be tested by historical data properly interpreted. The historical-philosophic method is the only safeguard against ideology on the one hand and empiricism on the other.

Explanation and suggestion as to method : No special text-books are required. Particularly in sociological subjects the laboratory method has proven its superiority. Students are co-laborers with the instructor in the investigation of specific subjects. Too much help stunts the intellect ; it must rather be quickened to self-dependence. Syllabuses, when practicable, are utilized to supply bibliography and unify class work. A departmental library, containing the best literature of the subjects taught, is placed at the fullest disposition of the student. Individual problems are assigned for special research, and co-operation in acquisition is utilized in class reports and theses. Instead of purchasing additional text-books, the students pay fifty cents per term to the department library fund, from which over one hundred volumes are purchased annually, so that very soon one of the best special libraries in the country will have been collected.

2. Sociology, principles and theory: (l) Scope, method, organization, evolution, problems, goal, etc. (2) Defective, dependent, and delinquent classes.

3. Practical sociology, or its applications : Institutions, family, school, church, market, and state.

4. Socialism, history and philosophy: (i) Communistic Utopias. (2) Socialistic schemes. (3) Social reform.

10. Seminarium in political science. This embraces only advanced work, viz.: the investigation of original and unsettled problems, together with such additional