All knowledge has common aim. Its is to investigate and explore, to observe and expound, and to understand and elaborate the matters that exist. Social and physical science, do not stand poles apart, these can not be dealt with as being separate and, as if not connected mutually. Society is common base of them all, knowledge has many facts. Of these Sociology deals with the fundamentals of social life. That man is a social being, involves him in many sided activity which reach on one another. These constitue the inseparable whole though every branch of knowledge has a field of its own.
There is a constant give and take among the several branches of knowledge. Sociology though a comprehensive study is not all inclusive study of society. Though, its area of investigation is wider and general in comparison to other social sciences such as Geography, Anthropology, Psychology, Ethics, History, Political Science, Economics and Jurisprudence, yet all these are allied. There is a great interplay among them. Any advance made in one branch of social science, has its impact on the others as well. It is thus, the meeting areas of these sciences that we aim to understand for better understanding of.
Sociology and Geography
Physical geography explains the impact of physical environment on the inhabitants. A given space always has peculiar physical features. Within their natural settings, communties functions. They act and react to the natural conditions. These reactions provide the woof and wharf to there social and cultural life. The growth of social institutions and cultural norms are largely influenced by the geographical conditions. It, in a major way explains the difference of social forms and cultural pattern between the communities. The differences in dress, food and mannerism between the groups living in deserts and the fertile lands is essentially climatic. All peoples are alike, but geography largely contributes to their differences. Settemnts grow where means of sustenances are available. Town have grown on the banks of rivers, on the sea coasts, and on the juction of roads, wherever, there is good hinter land in the background.
The smooth and regular flow of the Ganga over the extensive land has greatly contributed to its fertility on its either side. This explains the importance of the Gangetic valley in our history and culture. The Ganga has remained our life line.
The physical environment has immense impact on the social group. This realization has brought into existence the brand of learning called social geography. Man does not only live in given conditions but reacts to them. By his ingenuity, he exploits the available resources to his best requirements. The British islanders did not remain contended with their agriculture and fishery, they turned out to be a great trading people, and after they discovered their mineral wealth, they rose to be anothers of new civilization. The importance of geographical resources is thus immense. To the present day technological advancement, none can understanding the role of technology in economic advancement.
Nevertheless, geography has impact on sociological phenomena. This is natural.
Sociology and history
History studies the activities of the human race. History of cultures and institutions is of help in the understanding of sociology and in the collection of its meterial. Sociology assists it in the study of society. On the other hand, history is being studied from the sociological view point. Philosophy of history is also proving they do differ in the following respects.
History is concrete and Sociology is abstract : While history is the concrete, sociology is the abstract science of human experience and human nature. History presents a chronological description of incidents, attempts to discover their causes and general principles. For example, histoy undertakes merely to describe wars or their causes. Sociology studies those social processes which encourage war.
Sociology and History have different attitudes : As a general rule, history studies those incidents which are peculiar or unusual. Sociology studies those incidents which are peculiar or unusual. Sociology studies those incidents which are frequently repeated. History describes incidents taking place at a definite place and time. Sociology strives to discover universal laws and is not related to particular spatio-temporal incidents. Histoory generally studies incidents which ave happened in the past. Sociology is interested in past incidents only in as much as they can render some assistance in understanting the present societies.
Both have different units : History emphasizes the doings of the individual. Human group is the unit in sociological study.
Sociology and Anthropology
Anthropology studies growth of human race in all its comprehensiveness. Its distinct division are, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and social anthropology. These are concerned basically with the study of man and his culture. Sociology studies social groups; their culture and social institutions as they exist. These institutions are after approached for better understanding through anthropology. It provides sociology with the essential data concerning studies in cultural traits, and cultural lag.
It is the inherite and acquire cultural traits that give character to the communities and to their social institution. While the concept of race superiority has come to be recognized a myth, all the same the relation between anthropology and psychology is deep enough to make differentiation between one society and another. Sociology in contrast to anthropology has limited field of operation as it concerns only with the existing social interaction. Anthropology covers not only the entire institutional life of societies, but takes the full background view of the institutions.
Sociology and political science
Concerning the close relation of sociology to political science, Barnes has written, “The most significant thing about sociology and modern political theory is that most of the changes which have taken place in the political theory in the last thirty years have been along the line of development suggested and marked out by sociology.” Actually knowledge of sociology is necessary for understanding the problems of political science because political problems also have a social aspect.
G.E.G. Cattin has remarked that political science and sociology are two facts or aspects of the same figure. According to Comte and Spencer, there is no difference whatsover between the two. According to F.F. Wilson, “It must be admitted, of course, that it is often difficult to determine, whatever a particular write should be considered as sociologist, political theorist of philosopher.”
The laws of the state have a profound influence upon society. It is by means of law that the government changes and improves society, but, it is necessary to keep in view the modes, traditions and customs of the country while formulating law. For this, a knowledge of sociology would be needed. For example, in making the Hindu Code Bill, assistance was taken both from politics and sociology. The problem of deciding upon the form of government is best explained by having recourse to both sociology and political science. The problem of determining the government’s policy also is common of both. Similarly, the study of customs, behaviours, institutions, values, etc. are problems common to both Sociology and Political Science.
Sociology and economics
Food, cothing and shelter, production, consumption and exchange are the primarily concerns of economics. The doctrine of economics is concerned primarily with the appropriate use of wealth for the improvement of living standards. It must also be remembered that man is born social. He has never lived except in groups. His economic action is always his social action. Such simple economic activity as feeling of trees, raising of crops or spinning of yarn is not one man’s job. The area of economic activity can not be separated from social activity. Classes and castes, division of Labour, Industrial organization and planning area among the explanations of this phenomena.
The economics of property motivates all social action. 19th century capitalist order of profit motive destroyed the economic ethics of ages past. Sociology emerged as the result of social enquirey and the demand for reforms and the economic interpreation of histroy. The concept of class struggle, the aim of classless society and the realization that concord and conflict must go hand in hand explains the major role of economic forces in the social development. Economic urge is the condition of social growth.
MacIver has well said that ‘economic phenomena is constantly determined by all kinds of social need and activity and in turn they are contantly redetenmining, creating, shaping and transforming social need and activity of every kind.’ It needs, however be remembered that man does not live by bread alone. Economics alone does not provide rhyme and rhythm to life. Social activity falls much beyond the economic action.
Sociology studies economic action and not the economic process. It is concerned with the fairplay in soical action. The consideration of loss and profit and the economic mechanism is no concern of sociology. It is concerned with the welfare of all and not the few. The two have the common concerns and yet the diverse fields of activity.
Sociology and psychology
Having dealt in a general way with the relation between sociology and the social sciences, it is now necessary to proceed with a study of the relations between sociology and some particular social sciences. Sociology studies society, psychiology studies human behaviour. The scope of sociology and psychology coincides to quite some extent and both are positive sciences. Both are factul and both employ the scientific method. Both have lesser capacity of prediction. And, in both it is difficult to maintain obejctivity.
Inspite of such a high degree of similarity sociology and psychology have the following diffferences :
Difference of attitude : In both these, one finds difference of attitude in regard to a common material. The attitude of psychology is individualistic while that of sociology social.
Difference in units : The unit of psychology in an individual while sociology regards a society as a unit. In this way psychology studies man as individual in interaction with cultural and geographical environment, on the other hand, the socilogist studies man as a member of society.
Difference of methods : The methods of sociology and psychology are not identical, they differ from each other. Despite the above mentione differences, sociology and psychology have much in common and enjoy an intimate relationship. With understanding human psychology it is more or less impossible to understand interrelations and activities related to human beings. In much the same way, many of the profound truths of psychology remain secret unless there is ia knowledge of social relationship, behaviour and activities. In the words of Maclver, “Sociology gives special aid to psychology, just as psychology gives speical aid to sociology.”
Difference of subject matter : Sociology studies the behaviour of a group whereas social psychology studies the behaviour of an individual in society. In the words of Klineberg. “At the same time it remains true that the primary concern of the sociologist is group behaviour, and that of the social psychologist is the behaviour of the individual in the group situation. So, in this way sociology and psychology differ in rsspect of their subjects matter.”
Sociology and biology
Our ideas of what sort of progress is possible or desirable for man depend, part atleast, upon our views of his biological nature. Thus, the study of biology is necessary for a study of sociology. It is not possible to determine the modes and limits of man’s social progress without being acquainted with man’s physical capacities, qualities and limitation.
Biology presents us with this very knowledge. It studies man’s origin and biological development describes his development—sexual, analomical and personal and formulates principles for his adjustment to the environment. Darwinian theory of evolution is just one such principle which has been used in sociology to good advantage. Human ecology is based upon biological ecology.
Genetics, which is of major importance in sociology, is a branch of biology. Sociologist have taken a lot of assistance from it in connection with the improvement of species of breed. In sociology knowledge of the effects of heredity upon man is also much needed. That is studied by biology. In sociology, the influence of biology upon the organic theory of society is very clear and evident. Knowledge of biology is essential for sociology when the problems studied are concerned with marriage and family.
But biologocial principles can be applied in the social sphere only upto certain limits. Indiscriminate application beyond these limtis can lead to drastic consequences.
Sociology and ethics
Ethics is the science which discusses the good or bad of human conduct which is not possible without society which is studied by sociology. There being a relation between the individual and society, ethics and sociology related. Man can not even be imagined outside society. He acquires his concepts of good and bad, duty or non-duty, virtue, vice and convention from society. The mental and ethical development of the individual depends very much upon society. Man does not do goods acts because God wants such acts or that they are essential for living in society but rather because society accepts them as good and the ethical thoughts related to such conduct are inherent in social insititutions.
Therefore, goodness is a social contention. On the other hand, the evolution of society is dependent on the ethos of the people because, ultimately, society is only a web of social relationships. Great man have effected many reform is society. Thus, the relation between man and society is very intimate. Due to this reason again, ethics and sociology are closely related. Ethics is concerned with ethical ideal, the right and wrong of actions, the moral development and the character of the invidual. Sociology is the study of the nature of human society, its origin and development. It makes a study of the development and conventions of the different groups.
According to T. Abel, “Sociology is the scientific study of social relationship, their variety, their forms whatever effects them and whatever they effect.”
Ethics is dependent upon sociology for the description of man’s ultimate good in relation with society. We only know the individual man as a member of some society, what we call his virtues are chiefly exhibited in his dealings with his fellows, and his most prominent pleasures are derived from intercourse with them, thus it is a paradox to maintain that man’s highest good is independent of his social relations, or of the constitution and condition of the community of which he forms a part.
So that ultimate good of the individual is based upon the ultimate good of society as he is an inseparable part of society. The aim of ethics is to synthesise individual and social good, selfishness and altruism. Social science studies the social habits, conversions and those institution which influence men. Thus ethics depends upon sociology. On the other hand, sociology also depends upon ethics.
It studies the habits conventions and institution of groups and communities but leaves their evaluation to ethics. In fact, ethics and sociology are complementary sciences. Ethics presents those ideals in the light of which social facts are evaluated. Sociology studies ethical ideals in the forms of facts and describes the conditions of society in which they orginated. Values must be understood if society is to be understood. According to Maclver, “Society without values cannot be understood.” In this way sociology seeks the help of ethics. But sociology also helps ethics becuse the values studied by ethics are determined very much by the prevalent thought in the society and these form the subject matter of sociology.
But the close relation between the two does not mean that ethics is a branch of sociology, the present ethical behaviour of man is only a developement from his prehistoric animal behaviour. But this idea is fallacious. Even though from the historical point of view, ethics and sociology spring from the same source, there is a fundamental difference between two a fact forgotten by people who hold this opinion. The differences between ethics and sociology are the following :
- Normative science study ideals and positive sciences study facts. Sociology gives factual knowledge of social relations while eithics ideals. It decides the good and bad in social conventions, habits, traditions, etc. In this way, sociology and ethics are related to each other but their scopes do not coincide.
- Sociology is a comparatively theoretical study while ethics very much affects our practical life. It tries to seek the ultimate good and in its light makes judgements concerning virtues, duties, good and bad in social institutions, conventions, authority and economic and political laws, etc. In the form of the science of ethical ideals it is also related to philosophy.
- Sociology studies man as a member of sociology. Ethics studies man as a responsible individual having freedom of will.
- Sociology is an objective science whereas ethics is a normative science. Sociology studies objective processes and convention, laws, organisation, etc. The subject of ethics is internal motive, desires, violation and man’s conduct in the context of intentions.
The method of sociology is historical, scientific and empirical. The method of ethics is teleological. It is scientific, as well as philosophical, empirical as well as transcendental. It is descriptive and critical. Sociology like other positive sciences, looks into a cause effect relation in the facts. Ethics gives them their places in the world and comparing them to the ultimate good, describe ethical facts. Sociology studies the external behaviour of man, while ethics emphasises the internal aspect. Thus, ethics cannot be said to be a branch of sociology.
Sociology and social philosophy
Sociology is comparatively a new science, hence its scope is yet to be determiend clearly and scholars differ about its definition too.
Sociology is the science of social sceince. It includes all the aspects of society. Thus, infact, sociology includes all the subjects which are studied sociologically. It studies social traditions, proces and behaviour, forms of social events and their interrelation impact of social forces on social relations, etc. in social life. The preceding analysis of the scope of sociology clarifies its relation with social philosophy. The two study the same problems from different angles and with different methodology. Social philosophy is a normative science, while sociology is prescriptive one. But both facts and values, deals and ideals are important in human life.
Sociology studies the society with in the limitation of time and place, but social philosophy studies human society as a part of universe value without facts are empty ideals, facts without valves are meaningless. Thus social philosophy and sociology are interdependent. Social philosophy takes the facts from sociology and examines them in the light of the supreme goal of human life. The following are the fundamental differences between sociology and social philosophy:
- The subjects of study in sociology and social philosophy are different whereas soccial philosophy studies human values, sociology examines social relations, processes, events and the facts related there to. If at all sociology considers values, it consiers them as facts.
- The approach of sociology is factual while that of social philosophy is exilogical. Sociology describes social relations as they are, but social philosophy evaluates them in the light of supreme human ideals and values.
- The method of sociology is scientific, but that of social philosophy is philosophical. Social Philosophy looks at every event as a part of the whole from a synoptic view point based on direct perception, intutional, learning and logic. Hence it is critical not merely descriptive.
