Origin, Nature OF Sociology

INTRODUCTION
'Man is a social animal,' Aristotle said centuries ago. Human beings are born and raised in
society, where they are nourished and nurtured. Our lives are made bearable by society.
Society has been a source of speculation and inquiry since the dawn of civilization. The
restless and inquisitive mind of man has continued to be awed by social phenomena. St.
Simon was the one who began the scientific study of society much later. Auguste Comte
carried on his legacy and coined the term sociology to describe a new branch of social
science. We will discuss the meaning, origins, and subject matter of sociology as a
discipline in this unit.
MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY
Men have reflected on the societies in which they live for thousands of years. We can find
ideas about society in the writings of philosophers, thinkers, and lawgivers from various
countries and epochs. We can find major attempts to deal systematically with the nature of
society in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Manu, Confucius, and others. However, it was
only in the nineteenth century that Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim,
Max Weber, and others attempted to study society and establish Sociology as an academic
discipline. Sociology is one of the newest members of the social science family. It has
established a distinct status for itself as a young social science discipline. Its significance
and practical utility are widely acknowledged today. The French philosopher Auguste
Comte is known as the "Father of Sociology." In 1839, Comte coined the term "sociology."
He was the first to distinguish the field of sociology from the rest of the sciences. Sociology
is primarily concerned with the study of human society. It focuses on the social aspects of
human interactions. Sociological research, on the other hand, isn't just about describing
social relationships; it's also about analysing them. Different sociologists have defined
sociology in a variety of ways. The science of social systems is known as sociology.
Auguste Comte (Auguste Comte) Social Institutions Science is a field of study that focuses
on the study of social institutions. (Emile Durkheim) Science that tries to understand social
action in an interpretive way. (Max Weber) Social science is the study of social groups.
H.M. Johnson (H.M. Johnson) The study of human interactions and interrelationships, as
well as their causes and effects. Morris Ginsberg (Morris Ginsberg) We can deduct from the
above definitions that sociology is concerned with man, his social relations, and his
society.
ORIGIN OF SOCIOLOGY
In the middle of the nineteenth century, sociology became recognised as a distinct social
science. Its emergence was aided by several factors. There were three major factors that
accelerated the development of sociology as a distinct science. They're mentioned briefly
below - The Industrial Revolution in England and France's Social and Political Revolution
The advancement of Natural Sciences has served as a source of inspiration. The colonial
empires' radically diverse societies and cultures provided inspiration. In the second half of
the 18th century, Western Europe underwent significant transformations. These changes
agitated some people's minds and made them acutely aware of what was going on around
them. To begin with, the Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the late
eighteenth century, was a monumental social event. Never in history has there been such a
massive shift in society. The Industrial Revolution not only revolutionised production
methods, but also ushered in significant social changes. Complex urban life and mass
production of goods replaced simple rural life and small-scale home industries. Civilization
changed course as a result of industrialization. In fast-growing cities, social problems
became rampant. Suddenly, the people were confronted with problems that neither they
nor their forefathers had ever faced before. Men's minds were stirred by these challenges.
And they began to consider how to combat the social ills that arose as a result of the
Industrial Revolution. Social thinkers such as Comte, Spencer, and others argued that a
separate science of society was urgently needed. They believed that such a science would
be extremely beneficial in understanding society's nature and problems, as well as finding
solutions to them.
NATURE OF SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is a scientific field. In other words, sociology attempts to conduct a scientific
investigation into social actions or events. This statement may have prompted you to
wonder what constitutes a scientific study. A scientific study is one that attempts to
understand a phenomenon in a systematic and logical manner. In other words, a scientific
study must be based on facts, and the researcher's subjective feelings must not be a factor
in the study. Second, the research must use appropriate methods to unravel facts and
analyse them in order to reach logical conclusions. In relation to the phenomena under
investigation, such conclusions or generalisations must be empirically verifiable, reliable,
and valid. Because sociology is concerned with people and the values that they hold, the
methods used in sociology differ slightly from those used in natural sciences. Non-living
particles are the subject matter of natural sciences such as physics and chemistry. These
particles do not have their own consciousness. However, as previously stated, the subject
matter of sociology is a human being with a sense of self-awareness who tends to behave
differently when he or she becomes aware that his or her behaviour is being observed.
Furthermore, human beings cannot be studied in a laboratory, and sociologists must study
them in their natural environment in order to understand their true nature. However, all
sciences (including sociology) have one thing in common: observation must be conducted
in a scientific manner. This means that an observer must be able to accurately record what
he or she sees. As a result, a sociologist must be able to keep his or her preconceived
notions at bay while conducting research. For example, a researcher may have
preconceived notions about a society he or she is attempting to research, but while doing
so, he or she must record what he or she has observed rather than how he or she 'feels'
about that society.
CONCLUSION
Society has long been a source of speculation and investigation. August Comte coined the
term sociology in 1839 to describe a discipline that would study society scientifically.
Sociology is a branch of science concerned with the interpretation of social behaviour.
There were three main factors that accelerated the process of sociology becoming a
separate science. Sociology is the study of all aspects of a society, including economic,
political, and social factors. The relationship between sociology and other social sciences
is thought to be one of mutual exchange and stimulation. Sociology considers society and
social relations to be structured, forming a reality that is larger than individuals. Sociology
is the study of social phenomena from a holistic and relational perspective. Sociology is
the study of human behaviour in groups. The sociological point of view is scientific, not
utopian or fatalistic. In a sociological perspective, the problem is investigated on both
micro and macro levels.

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INTRODUCTION

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