Originally published in 1972, this book is an important introduction to the analytical aspects of sociology. It analyses the various strands in 20^th Century sociological thought, illustrating the richness as much as the poverty of any particular approach. It explores and compares the work of Weber and Pareto on sociological analysis, stressing the vital significance of their contributions to sociological knowledge. It looks at the stimulating implications of Karl Mannheim’s thought on the sociology of knowledge and finds in Mannheim the beginnings of most of the contemporary trends in sociology. It covers the fundamental assumptions of Parsonian thought and analyses the derivative character of the ideas of Robert Merton and Reinhard Bendix, along with Dahrendorf’s notions on a re-orientation of sociology.