Notes on the Relations and Contrasts of Philosophy and Sociology
For my whole life I, and I think much like others, confuse and merge what we consider philosophy and sociology. You could obviously look up their respective definitions, but I would like to start with how I view them as separate subjects but that relate to one another.
Philosophy to me is the study of humans and their relationship to reality through logic and reason. This obviously turned into "metaphysics", which then evolved into what we now know as science. Philosophy was basically the umbrella term for all research into the world and humans (i.e. natural philosophy, mental philosophy, the list goes on) for most of human history, with up until very recently around the 1700s and onwards requiring more technical specifications and dedication with the natural progression of technology and society. A lot of my views are from a Marxist lens, which he is widely contributed to adopting the modern understanding of sociology. Karl Marx is one of the most documented thinkers, I will not give a biography, but I will say using his philosophy and research training developed a systematic, materialist analysis of society centered on class conflict and economics rather than ideas or religion. This is an important distinction. Philosophy in the modern definition we can say is a rational, critical, and systematic inquiry into fundamental questions regarding existence, knowledge, ethics, reason, and mind. Sociology uses these fundamental concepts and knowledge to then "prove" its existence in the real world - social science.
Sociology had its first dedicated department in 1892, so we can use Google's definition for my next point. Sociology is defined as "the scientific or systematic study of society, human social behavior, interaction, and social structures. It analyzes patterns in social relationships, social institutions, and culture, ranging from micro-level individual interactions to macro-level social systems and structural inequalities". I would like to add to that culture is also involved and at play. Today I think philosophy is still very important and critical, but is now time for the greater dawn of the sociologist. We have proved and reasoned many millennia of philosophical ideals, now it is time to concretely show these views. Plus, to me a philosopher is a privileged thinker in most cases in history. A true sociologist would prove these philosophies among the poor, homeless, disenfranchised, and use raw data to prove his ideals, but use society at large as a peer review in a sense. Marx was monumental for this. Marx might not have done like Orwell and dedicated years to being poor and starting with no money, connections, or job in Paris just to experience all of the human condition to truly give the best context, opinion, and justification for his ideals - but he was monumental in proving on a world stage that these ideologies had tangible consequences to all humans, all peoples, of all nationalities, everywhere. A sociologist uses the knowledge of all of past and present humanity at his disposal, and does not just rely on classist conversations done separated from reality. Importantly, the philosopher and the sociologist must still work hand in hand with each other to form a unified body to have a potential grasp at the real and unreal, the tangible and intangible, the spoken for and the unspoken for, for present peoples and future generations, to better humanity. A sociologist can build upon the concepts done in the field of philosophy, while philosophy still dedicates it's power to the concepts and questions that are at the root of our very existence.