“THE IMMEDIATE TASKS OF SOCIOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION PROPER” (FROM THE LECTURES BY A. S. LAPPO-DANILEVSKY)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/11701/spbu12.2016.101Abstract
On the basis of the manuscript Scientific bases of sociology in their historical development by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Lappo-Danilevsky (1863-1919), Member of the Academy of Sciences, this article attempts a reconstruction of his views on current problems of contemporary social science. In his understanding of sociology, Lappo-Danilevsky relied on the teachings of Russian Neo-Kantians (A. I. Vvedenskii) trying to resolve the problem of ‘another self ’ as well as the tradition of German Neo-Kantians (Baden and Marburg schools). Among the ‘immediate tasks of sociological construction’ he singled out epistemological and historical trends. The epistemological direction is most fully embodied in neo-Kantian sociology. The historical direction moved closer to cultural history and ethnography. Considering the epistemological interpretation of social phenomena to be the most promising branch of sociology, in particular, the version of the study of “pure forms of sociation” that Georg Simmel had proposed, Lappo-Danilevsky as a professional historian recognized the importance of historical sociology. The epistemological and historical trends in many respects duplicate the methodological separation of the sciences, which had been proposed by German Neo-Kantians. Thus, the epistemological approach adopts a nomothetic point of view, while the historic approach an ideographic one. In general, Lappo-Danilevsky stuck to a moral interpretation of social relations. Without recognition of the psychic life of another person there can be no social relationships or social order, but recognition is the result of the compulsory force of «moral sense», referring to the other person as an end in itself, not only as a means. The social world thus turns out to be the ‘kingdom of ends’ of which Kant wrote. The article quotes from a manuscript of Lappo-Danilevsky, which allows one to form a fuller picture of his sociological heritage. Refs 5.
Keywords:
Lappo-Danilevsky, sociology, history, neo-kantianism, deontology, “another self ”
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Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Sociology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.