The Foundations of Sociological Thought: A Philosophical Excursion

This paper traces the emergence of sociological thought from the 18th to 19th century. Its central thread depicts a rich discipline with firm foundations in the context of socio-historical setting for its growth and development. It takes the reader through a historical path of sociological thought and contrasting discourse of early philosophers, enlightenment era, post-enlightenment phase and emergence of a distinctive subject matter of sociology. My arguments and insights also offer an account of birth of a discipline whose genesis is inextricably intertwined with central themes that were at the core of philosophical thought, enlightenment and postenlightenment development.