SOCIOLOGY, OR THE SCIENCE OF INSTITUTIONS 



Introduction 



An institution is a rule of conduct wliich nieu make by 

 agreement or which is made for them by some authority which 

 they recognize as such. Many, perhaps most, of these rules 

 are of great antiquity and are observed as customs, but new 

 rules or modifications of rules are instituted from time to time 

 as the exigencies of society demand. Thus, an institution is a 

 recognized law of conduct debased by men. Law and institu- 

 tion are often synonymous terms. We use the term law from 

 the standpoint of considering the rule ; we use the term insti- 

 tution from the standpoint of considering the origin of the rule. 

 I prefer to define sociology as the science of institutions rather 

 than as the science of law, because in sociology I wish to 

 include a study of the law itself and also a consideration of 

 the manner in which it originates and the agency by which it is 

 enforced, whether by sanctions of interest, sanctions of punish- 

 ment, or sanctions of conscience. The term law itself has a 

 wider significance than that in which I wish to use a term here. 

 Law is a general term signifying not only the law of man, but 

 the law of nature, and I wish to use it in this broad sense. I 

 choose the term institution to designate the law made by man; 

 but this term is often used with a broader signification than 

 that which I desire — thus, an institution may be an organized 

 body of men, or it may even be the name of a building. We 

 sometimes call a well-known organization of men the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, and we sometimes call the building where 

 they cany on their operations the Smithsonian Institution; 

 but I here use the term institution to mean the rules of conduct 

 instituted by men for the regulation of society, and do not 

 include the material things which they produce by their 

 industry. 



