CLASSIFICATION OF SCIENCES 107 



It must be admitted that the fields of chemistry 

 and physics are not separated by any defensible 

 boundary-lines, and the two sciences obviously 

 come together in such studies as spectrum anal- 

 ysis and in such theories as the electric struc- 

 ture of the atom. But the distinction is one 

 of considerable convenience and will probably 

 last. 



Some would have even more doubt as to the 

 propriety of separating off Sociology, from Psy- 

 chology for instance. 



The fact is that Sociology is still a very young 

 science; its scope and definition are in its own 

 hands. It is therefore neither necessary nor 

 advisable at present to try to define it with pre- 

 cision; we must see first how far it can go. It 

 is the scientific study of social groups or "societary 

 forms," considered as concrete organic unities, 

 each of them more than the sum of its parts. It 

 necessarily comes into contact with anthropology 

 and history, with economics (which has primarily 

 to do with industrial organization), and with 

 politics (which has primarily to do with the 

 affairs of the state as such), but it has a place 

 and function of its own. 



B. 2. The most important derivative or partic- 

 ulate sciences may be arranged in groups, depen- 

 dent on the five fundamental sciences. Two 

 points have to be kept clearly in mind, and may 



