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“ Teachers of sociology are frequently asked to tell how students who are confined to the use of English may begin to study sociology. A previous question, upon which information is seldom furnished, is whether it is desirable that the person concerned should begin to study sociology at all. It is by no means certain that everybody who wishes to be a better citizen, and to help make others better citizens, should try to study sociology. ”

“ The habit of observation and explanation of concrete facts which the manual is designed to form, must be the constant means of getting the material of sociology, unless one is to be contented with book science rather than objective science. Before there is primary fitness for dealing with sociology proper the practice of observing, analyzing and correlating concrete social facts must have become fixed habit. ”

“ It would be well if students would devote the time assigned to study of society for a year to observation of their own community, and to arrangement of results, after the method illustrated in the parts of the manual indicated, before venturing into the field of systematic sociology. ”

“ No one should attempt to read it who is not practiced in philosophical thinking, and familiar with some of the most influential ancient and modern systems of philosophy. Clergymen will especially appreciate the correlation of sociology with many phases of religious philosophy. ”

“ These simply illustrate our second preliminary remark, which amounted to the caution that sociology is in a very early stage of formative process. Study of facts and criticism of explanations is at present our business. ”

“ It is difficult to find sociological writers who agree with each other throughout, and those who are entirely consistent with themselves are rare. There must be extremely cautious discrimination, the discovery of a few pearls in much rubbish, and appreciation of wisdom obscured by glaring faults. ”

“ Assuming that students have thus had an adequate introduction to a valid method of studying society—which in our opinion bears about the same relation to the science of sociology that the first ten experiments performed by beginners in the laboratory have to the science of chemistry—they may then begin to ask how men have succeeded in systematizing social facts, i. ”