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In 1838, the French-thinker August Comte tweaked the meaning of the term sociology, to give it the definition that it holds today.

August Comte was so impressed with his theory of positivism that he referred to it as "the great discovery of the year 1822.” Comte's system is based on the principles of knowledge, as seen in 3 states. This law states any kind of knowledge always begins in theological form. Here the knowledge can be explained by a superior supernatural power such as animism, spirits, or gods. It then passes to the metaphysical form where the knowledge is explained by abstract philosophical speculation. Finally, the knowledge becomes positive after being explained scientifically through observation, experiment, and comparison. The order of the laws was created in order of increasing difficulty.

In later life, August Comte developed a 'religion of humanity' to give positivist societies the unity and cohesiveness found through the traditional worship people were used to. In this new "religion" he referred to society as the "Great Being." Comte promoted a universal love and harmony taught through the teachings of his industrial system theory. Comte appointed himself as high priest of this religion of humanity so that he could oversee his followers, and ensure they were abiding by his practices and teachings.

This perspective, termed positivism, was first developed by theorist August Comte. Positivism was founded on the theory that the only true, factual knowledge is scientific knowledge. Comte had very vigorous guidelines for a theory to be considered positivism. He thought that this authentic knowledge can only be derived from positive confirmation of theories through strict continuously tested methods, that are not only scientifically but also quantitatively based.

Durkheim proved that concepts that had been attributed to the individual were actually socially determined. These occurrences are things such as suicide, crime, moral outrage, a person’s personality, time, space, and God. He brought to light that society had influence on all aspects of a person, far more than had been previously believed.

Comte's description of the development of society is parallel to Karl Marx's theory that communism was closing in fast on the progressing human society. They both also agreed that communism would be the climax of human the society. Comte was at one point mentored by Henri de Saint-Simon, and both he and Marx were very influenced by his Utopian socialism approach to society.

Saint-Simon's focused much of his time to the concept that human society could be salvaged if scientists would form an international assembly and influence its course. His theory was that scientists could distract people from war and strife, by focusing their attention to such things as building canals and generally improving their societies living conditions. This would bring multiple cultures and societies together and prevent conflict. Saint Simon took the idea that everyone had encouraged from the Enlightenment, which was the belief in science, and spun it to be more practical and hands-on for the society. Saint-Simon's main idea was that industrialism would create a new launch in history. He saw that people had been seeing progress as an approach for science, but he them to see it as an approach to all aspects of life. Society was making a crucial change at the time since it was growing out of a declining feudalism. This new path could provide the basis for solving all the old problems society had previously encountered. ." He was more concerned with the participation of man in the workforce instead of which workforce man choose. His slogan became "All men must work” and from this, the slogan of communism was evolved "Each according to his capacity."

Karl Marx was concerned with class and by association class consciousness and focused concentrated his theories in these two areas. He did not come up with the theory of class, but the process in which it was created. Marx theorized that society was an organization that thrived off of material consumption and from this obsession, class consciousness was created. Society looked down on those who had less material objects than their own class did. He was very concerned with the working class, and attempted to bring it to a higher class and level the playing field a bit for the workers. It revolted him that the nonworking, wealthy class had the power that it had. They were the only group with the time and resources to be fully informed of what the government was doing. Marx feared, as he had previously seen, the class with the strongest resources can control the means of communication. With the communication controlled, the interests of the one class become the only ones that are heard and contributed to. In this case, the upper class would control the government's interests and agenda. Karl Marx also saw that this class, once in control would change the economy to favor themselves and make the conditions for the other classes worse off than they had previously started. He theorized that since the government creates private property, it has the ability to abolish and in its place substitute socialism. As the industrial economy grew, conflict would rise as the free market and the system of private property grew. With this foreseen conflict, Marx predicted revolt among the classes.

Herbert Spencer used the phrase “survival of the fittest” to describe his natural selection theories. He developed these theories focusing on entire species and not the individual organism. In this theory, Spencer paralleled with Darwin. The “fittest” is said to have referred to the elite of the species; the strongest, fastest, most efficient of species would eliminate those that are weaker, slower, and less resourceful. Spencer theorized on how entire cultures went extinct. Due to the vagueness of the phrase “survival of the fittest” Spencer’s theory is no longer accepted by many other theorists and scientists. His theory has been adapted and changed by other sociologists to be applicable to society.

In the past, sociology as well as other social sciences, was considered well below the level of other sciences, such as the natural sciences. Very recently has sociology begun to be recognized as a legitimate science and respected as such.

In 1830, August Comte proclaimed that sociology should, and would one day be on the same level of the other sciences. His prophecy seemed ridiculous to most at the time, until much later in the 19th century, but it did prove true.

The University of Chicago developed the major sociologists at the time. It brought them together, and even gave them a hob and network to link all the leading sociologists. In 1925, a third of all sociology graduate students attended the University of Chicago. Chicago was very good at not isolating their students from other schools. They encouraged them to blend with other sociologists, and to not spend more time in the class room than studying the society around them. This would teach them real life application of the classroom teachings. The first teachings at the University of Chicago were focused on the social problems that the world had been dealt. At this time, academia was not concerned with theory; especially not to the point that academia is today. Many people were still hesitant of sociology at this time, especially with the recent controversial theories of Weber and Marx. The University of Chicago decided to go into an entirely different direction and their sociology department directed their attention to the individual and promoted equal rights. Their concentration was small groups and discoveries of the individual’s relationship to society. The program combined with other departments to offer students well-rounded studies requiring courses in hegemony, economics, psychology, multiple social sciences and political science. Albion Small was the head of the sociology program at the University of Chicago. He played a key role in bringing German sociological advancements directly into American academic sociology. Small also created the American Journal of Sociology. Robert Park and Ernest Burgess refined the program’s methods, guidelines, and checkpoints. This made the findings more standardized, concise and easier to comprehend. The pair even wrote the sociology program’s textbook for a reference and get all students on the same page more effectively. Many remarkable sociologists such as George Hebert Mead, W.E. Dubois, Robert Park, Charles S. Johnson, William Ogburn, Hebert Blumer and many others have significant ties to the University of Chicago.

William I. Thomas was an early graduation from the sociology department of the University of Chicago. His built upon his teachings and his work changed sociology in many ways. In 1918, William I. Thomas and Florian Znaniecki gave the world the publication of The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. This publication combined sociological theory with in depth experiential research and thus launching methodical sociological research as a whole. This changed sociologist’s methods and enabled them to see new patterns and connect new theories. This publication also gave sociologists a new way to found their research and prove it on a new level. All their research would be more solid, and harder for society to not pay attention to it. In 1920, Znaniecki developed a sociology department in Poland to expand research and teachings there.

With the lack of sociological theory being taught at the University of Chicago paired with the new foundations of statistical methods, the student’s ability to make any real predictions was nonexistent. This was a major factor in the downfall of the Chicago school.

The University of Frankfurt’s advances along with the close proximity to the research institute for sociology made Germany a powerful force in leading sociology at that time. In 1918, Frankfurt received the funding to create sociology’s first department chair. The Germany’s groundbreaking work influenced its government to add the position of Minister of Culture to advance the country as a whole. The remarkable collection of men who were contributing to the sociology department at Frankfurt were soon getting worldwide attention and began being referred to as the “Frankfurt school.” Here they studied new perspectives of Marx theories, and went into depth of the works of Weber and Freud. Most of this men would soon be forced out of Germany by the Nazis and arrive in America, influencing social research there. This forced relocation of sociologists enabled sociology in America to bring up to the standards of European studies of sociology by planting some of Europe’s greatest sociologists in America. Felix Weil was one of the students who received their doctorate on the concept of socialization from the University of Frankfurt. He, along with Max Horkheimer and Kurt Albert Gerlach, developed the Institute of Social Research and it was established in 1923. Kurt Albert Gerlach would serve as the institute’s first director. Their goal in creating the institute was to produce a place that people could discover and be informed of social life as a whole. Weil, Horkheimer, and Gerlach wanted to focus on interactions between economics, politics, legal matters, as well as scholarly interactions in the community and society. The main research that got the institute known was its revival of scientific Marxism. Many benefactors contributed money, supplies, and buildings to keep this area of research going. When Gerlach, became ill and had to step down as director, Max Horkheimer took his place. He encouraged the students of the institute to question everything they studied. If the students studied a theory, he not only wanted them to discover its truth themselves, but also to discover how, and why it is true and the theories relation to society. The National Socialist regime exiled many of the members of the Institute of Social Research. The regime also forced many students and staff from the entire Frankfurt University, and most fled to America. Many people forced from the institute also left the war path, but unlike the university, the institute lost too many people and was forced to close. In 1950, the institute was reopened as a private establishment. From this point on the Institute of Social Research would have a close connection to sociology studies in the United States.

Collins, Randall (2010). The Discovery of Society. United States: McGraw-Hill. pp. 343. ISBN 9780070118836.

Collins, Randall (1988). Theoretical Sociology. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. p. 29. ISBN 015591474.

Cortese, Anthony (July 1995). "The rise, hegemony, and decline of the Chicago School of Sociology, 1892-1945". The Social Science Journal 32 (3): 235. Retrieved March 4, 2013.

Friedeburg, Ludwig. "History of the Institute of Social Research". Retrieved March 7, 2013.