Elsewhere 1 we were concerned with fundamental aspects of the question how man can comprehend his fellow-men. We analyzed man's subjective experiences of the Other and found in them the basis for his understanding of the Other's subjective processes of consciousness. The very assumption of the existence of the Other, however, introduces the dimension of intersub jectivity. The world is experienced by the Self as being inhabited by other Selves, as being a world for others and of others. As we had occasion to point out, intersubjective reality is by no means homogeneous. The social world in which man finds himself exhibits a complex structure; fellow-men appear to the Self under different aspects, to which correspond different cognitive styles by which the Self perceives and apprehends the Other's thoughts, motives, and actions. In the present investigation it will be our main task to describe the origin of the differentiated structures of social reality as well as to reveal the principles underlying its unity and coherence. It must be stressed that careful description of the processes which enable one man to understand another's thoughts and actions is a prerequisite for the methodology of the empirical social sciences. The question how a scientific interpretation of human action is possible can be resolved only if an adequate * From: De, sinnha/te A II/ball tler sowuen WeU, Vienna, 1932; 2nd ed. 1960 (Sektion IV: Strukturanalyse der Sozialwelt, Soziale Umwelt, Mitwelt, Vorwelt, English adaptation by Professor Thomas Luckmann.

Elsewhere 1 we were concerned with fundamental aspects of the question how man can comprehend his fellow-men. We analyzed man's subjective experiences of the Other and found in them the basis for his understanding of the Other's subjective processes of consciousness. The very assumption of the existence of the Other, however, introduces the dimension of intersub jectivity. The world is experienced by the Self as being inhabited by other Selves, as being a world for others and of others. As we had occasion to point out, intersubjective reality is by no means homogeneous. The social world in which man finds himself exhibits a complex structure; fellow-men appear to the Self under different aspects, to which correspond different cognitive styles by which the Self perceives and apprehends the Other's thoughts, motives, and actions. In the present investigation it will be our main task to describe the origin of the differentiated structures of social reality as well as to reveal the principles underlying its unity and coherence. It must be stressed that careful description of the processes which enable one man to understand another's thoughts and actions is a prerequisite for the methodology of the empirical social sciences. The question how a scientific interpretation of human action is possible can be resolved only if an adequate * From: De, sinnha/te A II/ball tler sowuen WeU, Vienna, 1932; 2nd ed. 1960 (Sektion IV: Strukturanalyse der Sozialwelt, Soziale Umwelt, Mitwelt, Vorwelt, English adaptation by Professor Thomas Luckmann.

"Die soziale Welt und die Theorie der sozialen Handlung," das aus gleich zu erkHirenden Griinden hinzugefiigt wurde, obwohl es yom Autor nieht aufgefiihrt worden war. AIle vorliegenden Abhandlungen sind, wie der Titel dieses Bandes anzeigt, Studien zur soziologischen Theorie. Sie gruppieren sieh nach den allge- meinen Kategorien der reinen und angewandten Theorie, wobei die erste Gruppe die erst en zwei Abhandlungen dieses Buches um- faBt. Die Reihenfolge, in der sieh das Material innerhalb der zwei Hauptteile prasentiert, ist im groBen und ganzen die chronolo- gische Folge der Erstveroffentlichung. Zunachst ein paar Bemerkungen iiber den Band als ganzen. Der Titel "Angewandte Theorie" kann vielleieht miBverstand- lich erscheinen, wenn. man den Schliissel-Satz von Teil2 in dem Sinne liest, als wiirde er Einsiehten in die Struktur praktischer Ziele beinhalten. Diese Studien besch1i. ftigen sieh Dieht mit "So- zial-Technik" (social engineering) oder "Wie lost man soziale Probleme?" Sie beschaftigen sieh, wie der Autor in seinem ganzen Lebenswerk, mit der Anwendung der Theorie auf ein besseres Verstandnis der sozialen Realitat. Ihr Akzent liegt mehr auf dem Verstehen als auf der Anwendung. Und dennoch fiihren die hier entwiekelten Interpretationen des tieferen Sinnes von mensch- lichem Verhalten naher zu einem sinnvollen Zugang zu dessen Problemen als es Abhandlung iiber "Techniken und Methoden des Losens von Problemen" je konnten. Der Mann, der mit einem Hauch von Selbstreflektion Aufsatze schrieb iiber "Gleiehheit" und iiber "Den Fremden" und iiber "Den Heimkehrel," ist in allen menschliehen Dingen ein Weiser und nieht minder ein Forscher und Gelehrter.