BetweenLiteratureandScience

ThethemeofthisbookistheconflictthataroseintheearlynineteenthcenturybetweentheliteraryandscientificintellectualsofEurope,astheycompetedforrecognitionasthechiefanalystsoftheuniqueindustrialsocietyinwhichtheylived.Sociologywasconceivedasthethirdmajordiscipline,ahybridofthescientificandliterarytraditions.Theauthorchroniclestheriseofthealternativedisciplinebydiscussingthelivesandworksofthemostprominentthinkersofthetime,inEngland,France,andGermany.Thebookpresentsapenetratingstudyofidealistsgrapplingwithrealitywhenindustrialsocietywasinitsinfancy.PublishedwiththesupportoftheExxonEducationFoundation.