Albion Small (Transl. by: Alexander Kovalev )
Era of Sociology
While there is no certitude with regard to the moment of formation of sociology as a science, the time of its institutionalization as a university discipline can be ascertained chronologically thanks to Albion Small (1854-1926) who created the first ever department of sociology in Chicago (the head of which he was for 30 years). However, this does not accomplish Small’s merits in institutionalization of sociology: in 1905 he established «American Journal of Sociology», still one of the most influential sociological journals, and from 1912 till 1913 he was the president of American Sociological Association, in founding of which he also played a big role. As many American sociologists of those times, Small get polymath education (theological in its base) and continued it in Europe: in Leipzig and Berlin he studied history, political economy and political science. At the same time, he was acquainted with sociology, mainly because of communication with Georg Simmel, correspondence with whom he continued after his return to America. Small accounted the formation of sociology as principally new social discipline both as mark and condition of dynamical development of modern reforming democratic society. The basic works by A. Small -- «General Sociology» (1905), «Adam Smith and Modern Sociology» (1907), «The Meaning of the Social Sciences» (1910), «Between Eras: From Capitalism to Democracy» (1913) – witness his fundamental interest to both deep theoretical investigations with regard to the object and method of science, and comprehension of the new cognitive perspective, presented by sociology for the universalist description and forthcoming transformation of world social order. Hereinafter contained paper by A. Small possesses the same pathos.