ABSTRACT
Analytic induction is merely a special name for one formulation of a basic philosophy that research must be directed toward generalizations of universal rather than frequent applicability. But Florian Znaniecki's statement is unusually unequivocal and is specifically oriented toward sociological research. Hence it makes an excellent point of departure for a study of contrasting methodologies. Donald R. Cressey's statement regarding the violation of financial trust likewise is posited as a system of universal generalizations and is similar to Alfred R. Lindesmith's in format. Three elements are essential to trust-violation. The person who will violate a financial trust has, first, a "non-sharable financial problem," a difficulty which he feels he cannot communicate to others. Second, he recognizes embezzlement as a way of meeting this problem. And third, he rationalizes the prospective embezzlement, justifying it to himself in some way. The utility of defining universals within closed systems lies in the translation of variables into concepts.
