3 
A similar split has been observed in sociology where the 
empirical approach of Lazarsfeld and others, and the 
philosophical or analytical approach have tended to 
become separate subjects which exclude each other. 
Perhaps similar tendencies may be found in other 
social sciences with which I am less familiar (for 
example, psychology). 
What are the reasons? On the face of it they have 
something to do with the organisation of our Uni 
versities which fosters the autonomy of subjects.*) 
Hore basically, the fragmentation is a symptom of 
aimlessness of the social sciences, They are not 
'•necessary*' for society in the way natural science 
is; in s ^ far as they do have functions they are pro 
foundly affected by the divisions of society, or by 
the wish to retreat from them into an ivory tower. 
If the social sciences would be faced by common tasks 
such as engineers and scientists had in the work for 
the space programme of NASA the isolation and frag- 
'It is a general defect of our education that it does 
not help the student (or pupil) to establish a 
connection between the things he learns in various 
subjects. The kind of attitude thus created con 
tinues naturally in the orientation and organiza 
tion ot research, and in the establishment of new 
disciplines.