Hans Neisser. On the Sociology of Knowledge: An Essay. Pp. 151. New York: James H. Heineman, 1965. $4.95

• Published date: 01 November 1966
• Author: Kurt H. Wolff
• Date: 01 November 1966
• DOI: 10.1177/000271626636800198
• Subject Matter: Articles

245
historians of the past. Here, too, his ideas
of the human mind&dquo;
(p. 99) and of
are
stimulating and thought-provoking.
&dquo;erratic values&dquo; (pp. 119-123). There are
Moreover, the reader does not crave as in
many unpursued suggestions worth pur-
earlier chapters, the annotation and biblio-
suing : on capitalism-passim; Professor
graphical references, entirely, seriously, and
Neisser is an eminent economist-historical
unaccountably lacking.
episodes-passim; he is enviably familiar
OSCAR G. DARLINGTON
with history-the conception of intellec-
Professor of History
tual history &dquo;as an interpenetration of
and Dean of the College
social-historical factors and the autonomy
of Liberal Arts
of the human mind&dquo; (p. 33), causality and
Ohio Northern University
causal analysis (pp. 106 ff.), and more.
There also is much arbitrariness, to give
only a few examples: the limitation, not
HANS NEISSER.
On the Sociology of
justified despite an effort in the Preface,
Knowledge: An Essay. Pp. 151. New
to consider the sociology of knowledge
York: James H. Heineman, 1965. $4.95.
only in Mannheim’s version-and in a
The Yreface suggests a plan of pro-
narrow selection from it-and in the less
cedure, but the connection between plan
representative of two statements by Tal-
and execution is thin. &dquo;The principal aim
cott
Parsons-in Theories of Society,
of this essay is clarification&dquo; (p. 13, a
rather than in &dquo;An Approach to the Soci-
sentence applauded by Robert MacIver
ology of Knowledge.&dquo; There also are some
in his introduction); there also is a synop-
errors:
Weber’s Protestant Ethic was
sis, following a preface and an introduc-
translated in 1930-not 1948-and his
tion, and there are parts, chapters, sections,
General Economic History in 1927-not
and subsections; yet contrary to expecta-
1950; his &dquo;not translated&dquo; &dquo;Protestant Sects
tion, the Roman and Arabic numerals,
and the Spirit of Capitalism&dquo; is translated
...