ABSTRACT
Quantitation and measurement have been regarded as hallmarks of modern science ever since Galileo enjoined philosophers to measure whatever is measurable. His advice was followed enthusiastically and it has produced an immense crop. Quantity and quality are mutually complementary rather than exclusive. Indeed, every quantity is either the numerosity of a collection of items sharing a certain quality, or the intensity of a quality. To clarify the nature of genuine quantitative concepts, this chapter proposes a short list of new sociological magnitudes. It focuses on anomie, defined as a mismatch between what may be called wishes and attainments, or desiderata and consummata. The chapter introduces the concept of horizontal social distance between two individuals. It also examines the participation of a social group in the activities of another group, such as the political participation of the peasants in an agrarian society. In the field of social studies quantitation was boom centuries ago, to solve practical problems in taxation and insurance.
