The Significance of Empirical Researches to the General Theory of Shimmei's Sociology

Abstract

Dr. Masamichi Shimmei (1898-1984) is celebrated by his continuous endeavor to systematize the general theory of sociology. However, his empirical sociology is also very important. In the collected works consisted of ten volumes which were edited by himself before his death, Dr. Shimmei devoted just half of the works to these special sociologies which contained empirical researches, the remain half being assigned to his general theory of sociology. The importance he attached to his special sociology is unexpected, for he has been regarded in general as a general theorist. While his general sociology is based on a theory of action (Koi-kanren), empirical researches are treated in his framework of special sociology, in his system of synthetic sociology (Sogo-shakaigaku). In his sociological theory, the theory of action was conceived as the theory of “Koi-kanren” which contained “content” as well as “form” of social action. From this concept of “Koi-kanren”, the empirical research on various aspects of contents of social action became possible. His studies in domain of special sociology contain such as sociology of knowledge, political sociology and sociology of nations, crowd and regional society, which consist of volumes from No. 6 to No. 10 in his collected works. Because in these works, except the sociology of knowledge, he analyzed concrete and contemporary problems of society such as european ideologies of facism, nations and races, the masses and regions, it was necessary for him to treat empirical data. So far, this article tried to elucidate the place and significance of his empirical researches in his synthetic sociology. It should be insisted that the newer generation of sociologist after him should inherit his sociology to develop more broad and new aspects of empirical resarch.