THE CLAIMS OF SOCIOLOGY EXAMINED
HENRY JONES FORD
Professor Albion W. Small has generously allowed me un- restricted space in which to reply to criticisms upon my article in The Nation on "The Pretensions of Sociology." In his own comments Professor Small remarks that it suited me "to ignore the methodological argument." That did not come within the scope of an article which was devoted to sociological doctrine and its influence upon the popular mind, and which, as it was addressed to the general public, avoided technical nomenclature so far as possible. But I do not think it is quite true to say that I ignored the methodological argument; on the contrary I ad- verted to the fact that the fundamental issue was one of method- ology. Professor Ellwood in his comments admits that I noted that issue. At any rate, I shall now comply with Professor Small's wishes by "meeting sociology frankly on that plane." It is a satisfaction to have a fitting occasion for argument of that character, for my antagonism to sociology is rooted in methodological considerations. It is just for the reason that the matter of methodology is so important that I have presented the issue so squarely. When definite propositions are advanced without any attempt at hedging the basis is laid for profitable controversy. If I venture to differ with sociologists as to the scientific value of their speculations, the antagonism is purely a matter of logical form and is accompanied by sincere personal respect for them. It should be remembered that I am not going out of my way to attack sociology. It proposes, as part of its scheme, that political science shall be regarded as a province of sociology. Since it confronts the student of political science with an assertion of sovereignty, surely he has a right to criti- cize its pretensions.
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