Excerpt from The Foundations of Social Science: An Analysis of Their Psychological Aspects The increasing dissatisfaction with the traditional formulations of the facts of history and social science has stimulated a search for causes in the human motives that make history and determine the phenomena of social science. How far causes of this fundamental kind can, with strict scientific accuracy, be ascertained, is becoming evident from an increasing volume of research. The results suggest the possibility of an underlying science of social relations, less objective than the other social sciences, but having a field and method of its own. The cultivation of this science, it is maintained, will not only co-ordinate the work of social scientists in different fields but will yield a distinct body of scientific knowledge and principles. Social psychology will justify its claim to be recognized as an accredited science if it can be shown (I) that it has a distinct field which can be dealt with scientifically, and(2) that the other sciences which have to do with human relations assume a little known psychological field from which are drawn explanations of phenomena in their own fields. Our task is, therefore, (I) to indicate what is the relation of the science of this little known field to the other sciences of social relations;(2) to offer an analysis of this little known field. "The Foundations of Social Science" treats of the relations of the science of this new field to the other social sciences. If it can be shown that the analyses of unsolved problems of the other social sciences, as pressed by the more earnest scientists, converge toward this new field, if certain conceptions about the little known field have formed in the minds of scientists in other fields, then we may assume that it demands our study. The obstacles encountered will not all be intellectual. Every advance in science has encountered conservatism in high places, and the opposition of interests which thought their position and prestige jeopardized thereby. In addition to this volume on the psychological aspects of social science, I have five others which will be published as business conditions permit. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.