The Problem of Generations I. How the Problem Stands at the Moment A. the Positivist Formulation of the Problem

THE first task of the sociologist is to review the general state of investigation into his problem. All too often it falls to his lot to deal with stray problems to which all the sciences in turn have made their individual contribution without anyone having ever paid any attention to the continuity of the investigation as a whole. We shall need to do more, however, than give a mere survey of past contributions to the problem of generations. We must try to give a critical evaluation of the present stage of discussion (in Part One); this will help us in our own analysis of the problem (in Part Two). Two approaches to thc problem have been worked out in the past: a 'positivist' and a 'romantic-historical' one. These two; schools represent two antagonistic types of attitudes towards reality, and the different ways in which they approach the proDr lem reflect this contrast of basic attitudes. The methodical ide~j~ of the Positivists consisted in reducing their problems to quanti-:;~ tative terms; they sought a quantitative formulation of factol'li' ultimately determining human existence. The second schoo.i adopted a qualitative approach, firmly eschewing the clear day,;1 light of mathematics, and introverting the whole problem. j.