German Sociology

This book was originally published in the 1930s to introduce the French public to developments in German sociology. The book begins with the German social science background and then analyzes the "systematic" sociologists such as Spann and Vierkandt and then turns to the "historical" sociologists

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including Oppenheimer, Alfred Weber and Mannheim. The largest chapter is devoted to Max Weber who unites the systematic and historical threats. The final chapter draws comparisons between French and German sociology, concluding that the differences are greater in theory than in practice.

It was interesting to learn about sociologists whose names have faded with the passage of time. The chapters on Mannheim and Max Weber were excellent. The various comparisons drawn between different German sociologists and between German and French sociology were also insightful. I was surprised that there was not more attention devoted to Simmel.

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