---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The quarrel of the sociologists with the…"
description: "\"The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do it that they have forgotten what to do. The..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg"
---

#  The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is…

![“The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do it that they have forgotten what to do. They have become so skilled in finding facts that they have no use for the truths that would make the facts worth finding.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg)

> “The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do it that they have forgotten what to do. They have become so skilled in finding facts that they have no use for the truths that would make the facts worth finding.”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote critiques historians for mastering factual research while neglecting the deeper purpose of history, rendering facts meaningless without guiding truths.

**In simple terms:** Historians prioritize data over meaning.

Key Takeaway

Facts need interpretive purpose.

Themes

historiography epistemology purpose of knowledge methodology truth vs. data

Mood

critical reflective skeptical

Type

critical essay philosophical observation

When to use this quote

- academic research
- teaching history
- archival work
- public history projects

Key Concepts

historical method meaning-making critical analysis

Practical Applications

- design curricula that link facts to narratives
- train historians in philosophical inquiry

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean for facts to be 'worth finding'?
- How can historians balance rigor with relevance?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Sociologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sociologists/) [Truths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truths/) [Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth/)

## Related quotes

> [Sociologists and historians have avoided looking for the family sources of wars and social violence. Whenever a group produces murderers, the early parental relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-demause/sociologists-and-historians-have-avoided-looking-for-the-family/)

[Lloyd deMause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-demause/)

> [Futurism today is led by science-fiction writers, by sociologists, by historians. Now, I have nothing against them. I'm sure they do great work. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/futurism-today-is-led-by-science-fiction-writers-by-sociologists-by/)

[Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/)

> [“For our purpose, however, what the soldiers did or did not read is irrelevant. For, if soldiers did not learn to fight their battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keegan/for-our-purpose-however-what-the-soldiers-did-or-did-not-read-is/)

[John Keegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keegan/)

> [What I'm pushing for is an economic discipline that will be closer to other social sciences; in particular, we should be more pragmatic about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/what-i-m-pushing-for-is-an-economic-discipline-that-will-be-closer-to/)

[Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/)

> [Being deeply learned and skilled, being well trained and using well spoken words; This is good luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-deeply-learned-and-skilled-being-well-trained-and-using-well/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Recognising that the future growth of India will depend on greater skill development, the National Policy for Skill Development aims to create a skilled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/recognising-that-the-future-growth-of-india-will-depend-on-greater/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No I'm not a smart ass..I'm a skilled,trained,professional in pointing out the obvious and I speak fluent sarcasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-i-m-not-a-smart-ass-i-m-a-skilled-trained-professional-in-pointing/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“A book is like a quarrel. One word leads to another, and may erupt in blood or print, irrevocably.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-book-is-like-a-quarrel-one-word-leads-to-another-and-may-erupt-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A quarrel is quickly settled when deserted by one party; there is no battle unless there be two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-quarrel-is-quickly-settled-when-deserted-by-one-party-there-is-no/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A herd of prairie-wolves will enter a field of melons and quarrel about the division of the spoils as fiercely and noisily as so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-herd-of-prairie-wolves-will-enter-a-field-of-melons-and-quarrel/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“It must have been perfectly dreadful to see a woman every day for five years, and not give her a pie, when you felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-must-have-been-perfectly-dreadful-to-see-a-woman-every-day-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“There is no such source and cause of strife, quarrel, fights, malignant opposition, persecution, and war, and all evil in the state, as religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-source-and-cause-of-strife-quarrel-fights-malignant/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Love is the way. In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This is God's law. Knowing this, how can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-way-in-this-world-hate-never-yet-dispelled-hate-only-love/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We will separate, but we will not quarrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-will-separate-but-we-will-not-quarrel/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The enemy is like a woman, weak in face of opposition, but correspondingly strong when not opposed. In a quarrel with a man, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-enemy-is-like-a-woman-weak-in-face-of-opposition-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do it that they have forgotten what to do. They have become so skilled in finding facts that they have no use for the truths that would make the facts worth finding.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the-historians-is-that-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the-historians-is-that-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ba/anonymous-1_about_the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the_49412.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The quarrel of the sociologists with the historians is that the latter have learned so much about how to do…” — Anonymous",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The quarrel of the sociologists with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the-historians-is-that-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-quarrel-of-the-sociologists-with-the-historians-is-that-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
