Sociology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

It requires that we understand

However, we need to appreciate the differences between the subject matter of the natural and the human sciences. People think. They act as they do, not because they are bound to follow unvarying rules but because they have beliefs, values, interests, and intentions. That simple fact means that, while some forms of sociological research look rather like the work of chemists or physicists, for the sociologist there is always a further step to take. Our notion of explanation does not stop at identifying regular patterns in social action.

But the actions of people cannot be identified simply by observing them.

In order to explain, he had to understand.