Sociology is the scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture (Craig Calhoun (Editor). 2002, Dictionary of the Social Sciences). This discipline, which we were introduced to in High School, was presented to us as emanating from Western Europe. However, due to enhanced knowledge we have come to realized that sociological thoughts can be traced back to the continent of Africa. Noteworthy, to this discussion we can look at the contributions of Ibn Khaldun; whose ideas were ignored but later seen in the works of Marx, Weber and Durkheim. In addition, an attempt was made to re-conceptualize capitalism by all of the founding fathers. Once again ignoring the contribution of Africans and Americans,
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Has he gave the discipline its name, having coined it from the Latin Socios, meaning ‘group or society’; and the Greek Logos, ‘the study of’. Thus we end up with a word meaning the ‘the study of society’ (Re-appropriating the Stolen Legacy). According, to “Auguste Comte :Theories and Contributions to Sociology”, Comte noted in his book “Course in Positive Philosophy” that society like nature, operates under its own set of laws and should be studied the same way we study nature: with …show more content…
Khaldun was a black man and blacks were not viewed as ‘human beings’ from as far back as the French Revolution, where it was clear that blacks were not to be figured in the development of sociological thoughts. For example; W.E.B Dubois work on activism was marginalized as he rejected the standard view about blacks being inferior and should be blamed for their own misery. Another reason why Khaldun work may have been ignored or devalued could be explained by the fact that he was Islamic and they were pushing Christianity at that time, thus religions outside that space was seen has inferior. In addition, emphasis can also be placed on the lack of attention which was given to the Haitian Revolution; this clearly shows the unimportance of the African population in the Western thoughts. However, I believe the discipline owes credit to the Africans, such as; Khaldun, as there is every evidence that he is as much a sociologist as Durkheim and Weber.
In Conclusion, it can be clearly noted that sociology did not began in Western Europe. As individuals in Africa such as Khaldun made significant contribution decades before Comte. Even though Comte gave the discipline its name, sociological works was going on years before as we can look at the relationship between the Greeks, Egyptians and also the early philosophers of the 18th
Has he gave the discipline its name, having coined it from the Latin Socios, meaning ‘group or society’; and the Greek Logos, ‘the study of’. Thus we end up with a word meaning the ‘the study of society’ (Re-appropriating the Stolen Legacy). According, to “Auguste Comte :Theories and Contributions to Sociology”, Comte noted in his book “Course in Positive Philosophy” that society like nature, operates under its own set of laws and should be studied the same way we study nature: with …show more content…
Khaldun was a black man and blacks were not viewed as ‘human beings’ from as far back as the French Revolution, where it was clear that blacks were not to be figured in the development of sociological thoughts. For example; W.E.B Dubois work on activism was marginalized as he rejected the standard view about blacks being inferior and should be blamed for their own misery. Another reason why Khaldun work may have been ignored or devalued could be explained by the fact that he was Islamic and they were pushing Christianity at that time, thus religions outside that space was seen has inferior. In addition, emphasis can also be placed on the lack of attention which was given to the Haitian Revolution; this clearly shows the unimportance of the African population in the Western thoughts. However, I believe the discipline owes credit to the Africans, such as; Khaldun, as there is every evidence that he is as much a sociologist as Durkheim and Weber.
In Conclusion, it can be clearly noted that sociology did not began in Western Europe. As individuals in Africa such as Khaldun made significant contribution decades before Comte. Even though Comte gave the discipline its name, sociological works was going on years before as we can look at the relationship between the Greeks, Egyptians and also the early philosophers of the 18th