Question- Why sociology is science?

Ans.

Sociology as a science and particularly as a separate field of study is of recent origin. According to Prof. MacIver, ‘Sociology as a more or less definite body of systematic knowledge with a distinct place and name among the family of sciences must be dated by decades rather than by centuries.’ To be more exact, it was in 1839 that Auguste Comte, the French philosopher and sociologist, had coined the term ‘sociology’ and defined the scope of this social science and the methods which it should employ. Auguste Comte is, for this reason, traditionally considered to be the ‘Father of Sociology’. He had directed his labours towards determining the nature of human society and the laws and principles underlying its growth and development. In his chief work, Cours de philosophic (Positive Philosophy) he had clearly pointed out the need for the creation of a distinct science of society which the first called ‘social physic’ and later ‘sociology’ that should concern itself with an analysis and explanation of social phenomena. To Comte and to other social thinkers of his day, ignorance about society was the root of all social evil; and he believed that knowledge about society obtained by scientific method, then proving so useful in the natural sciences, would make possible the development of the good society. He predicted that man would become the master of his social destiny as soon as he had developed a science of society.

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