SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY.

This article provides the author's view concerning the relation between sociology and psychology. I use the term psychology for the science which deals with mental phenomena, conscious and unconscious. Passing now to the meaning I attach to the term sociology, the first point to notice is that just as it is possible to describe any of our daily actions as individuals without any reference to the motives which prompt these actions, so is it possible to describe the actions of human beings as members of society without reference to motives. It will, I trust, have become evident that the distinction I seek to make between sociology and social psychology is essentially one of method. To me, as to most students of the subject, the final aim of the study of society is the explanation of social behaviour in terms of psychology. The other reason which justifies the sociologist in using psychological terms in his definitions is that the sociologist has taken into his vocabulary a number of terms in general use which have definite psychological implications. It is evident that the logical processes involved in this study of social behaviour as a step towards the discovery of psychological laws is far from simple.