Seminar Notes

TEACHERS of sociology are frequently asked to tell how students who are confined to the use of English may begin to study sociology. A previous question, upon which information is seldom furnished, is whether it is desirable that the person concerned should begin to study sociology at all. It is by no means certain that everybody who wishes to be a better citizen, and to help make others better citizens, should try to study sociology. It is possible to learn many things of immediate value about citizenship, not merely about politics in the ordinary sense, but about many ways of cobperation in society outside of politics, without going very deeply into the material or the method of sociology. We shall hereafter illustrate this remark in various ways. Assuming now that we are advising persons of mature minds who are totally unacquainted with the literature of sociology; we have to say, first, that the things most important to the sociologist are not in books. In order to understand society, the facts of society must be studied face to face, not merely through the medium of print. Second, it is worse than useless for persons to study existing sociological literature who are not accustomed to weigh and use conflicting opinions and irreconcilable systems. It is difficult to find sociological writers who agree with each other throughout, and those who are entirely consistent with themselves are rare. There must be extremely cautious discrimination, the discovery of a few pearls in much rubbish, and appreciation of wisdom obscured by glaring faults. Persons who cannot preserve evenness and independence of judgment under such requirements would better leave sociological study to others.