Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

Developing a natural- experimental sociology science based on Aristotle's Middle Ages principles of classifying science faces difficulties. Considering historical nature of the science of sociology these problems are ascribed to the limited scientific value of history science as ancient scholars especially Aristotle say; besides, this kind of classification takes in to consideration such things like accuracy, necessity and demonstrative ability of this science. In his inquiry of Islamic scientific tradition, Ibn-Khaldun finds three ways: 1. regarding sociology as part of speculative philosophy 2. Placing it with applied philosophy 3. Disregarding Aristotle's mode and initiating a new course of human science in addition to its being natural and experimental. Ibn-Khaldun chooses the third way. Although he doesn't offer a comprehensive classification of science, he places sociology neither with applied philosophy nor with speculative philosophy. This paper shows that developing a science with the subject of sociology cannot fall into Aristotle's common category; first because it will be a kind of breaking with the normative aspects of applied science and secondly because it has human tendency towards natural science.