CHAPTER III
SOCIOLOGY AS DISTINCT FROM THE
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY

[ry HE term “sociology” has sometimes been used for
1 certain scientific inquiries which, although closely
related to sociology, are none the less not identical
with sociology. One of these is social psychology, the others
 are certain social sciences. In the latter case the confusion
 arose only if these social sciences, such as economics
or political science, made use of the so-called sociological
method. It is therefore necessary to define once more the
study of sociology, but this time in relation to and in contrast
 with the social sciences on the one hand and social
psychology on the other. The distinction will then be seen
to lie in the fundamental category of cognition by means
of which these sciences abstract their specific subjectmatter
 from the socio-historical actuality.
The socio-historical actuality, society in the broader
sense of the term, consists of the sum of all individuals concurring
 in reciprocal relations, together with all the interests
 which unite them. In other words, it consists of Individuals
 who are socialized on the basis of certain interests
 or for specific purposes, together with these interests
and purposes. The socio-historical actuality may therefore
 be regarded from three distinct points of view:
1. It may be viewed with reference to the individual existences
 which are the bearers of the social situation. The
social situation is then viewed as the result of specific psychological
 contents in the composing individual elements.