ABSTRACT
An appropriate appreciation of the uncommon distinction introduced at the beginning of this article requires an additional note. Friedrich H. Tenbruck’s considerations – more precisely his incisive critique – in essence targeted Emile Durkheim’s conception of sociology (influenced by contemporary ideals of positivist science) and his notion of ‘society’ (moulded upon the pattern of nineteenth-century nation states). In consequence of this critique, however, Tenbruck was also led to debate Durkheim’s method of comparison (defined according to scientistic models). This methodology, which conceived the comparative approach as ‘rules for the demonstration of sociological proof’ par excellence (Durkheim [1895] 1982, 147), has been a decisive turning point in the development of comparative social research.
