ABSTRACT
Few cultural phenomena were more historically ordained than the rise of sociology in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Contrary to the common equation of positivism with "raw empiricism' in sociology, Auguste Comte viewed empiricism as a "great hindrance" to scientific inquiry". Comte drew a basic distinction between "static" and "dynamic" aspects of sociological analysis. It is safe to maintain that scientific discourse is not possible without at least one general law. Laws perform many crucial functions in the production and accumulation of knowledge. The Spencerian strategy is increasingly reaping numerous and rich harvests— in disciplines other than sociology. There is almost general agreement that The Division of Labor in Society represents an extraordinarily brilliant accomplishment in sociology. As society evolved through various technological revolutions, population size and density increased, thereby stimulating the frequency and intensity of social interaction.
