Pure Sociology

Pure Sociology - I make no claim to priority in the use of the term pure sociology. It is but natural that those who regard sociology as a science should divide the science, as other sciences are divided, into the two natural departments, pure and applied. But as the term "pure sociology" has been freely used for several years by certain European sociologists, it seems proper to explain that the matter for this work has been accumulating in my hands for many years. I should perhaps rather say that sociological material has been long pouring in upon me, and that the first classification that was made of it was into such as related to the origin, nature, and genetic or spontaneous development of society, and such as related to means and methods for the artificial improvement of social conditions on the part of man and society as conscious and intelligent agents. The first of these classes I naturally called pure sociology, the second, applied sociology.