Sociology, or the scientific study of society, social institutions, and social relationships, is one of the most important social sciences and may include in its concerns anthropology, economics, history, political science, and psychology. As a field of study it is inherently intertwined with ethics. Because any society is dependent on common assumptions about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior among its members, sociological analysis has to include descriptions of those ethical beliefs and practices. Indeed, the society constituted by sociologists may be defined by its internal ethical commitments. At the same time, insofar as sociologists do research in and on society, they produce knowledge about moral values and their social functions, and questions arise about the proper guidelines for their work, especially when that work may conflict in various ways with accepted social norms.

The Sociology of Ethics

Early in the formation of sociology morals and...