What social forces were at work that led to the emergence of sociology in the late 18th and early 19th Century?

Sociology as a discipline is relativity new, and emerged in the late 18th and early 19th century as a result of a number of social forces; however which social forces led to the emergence of sociology has long been a point of discussion for many sociologists. In the course of this essay four social forces will be address to see which if any caused the emergence of sociology. The four social forces are, first The Industrial Revolution, second The French Revolution, and third The American Revolution and finally the philosophical changes linked with the Enlightenment Thinkers. All of the forces listed above will be looked at, and the essay argues that a combination of the four led to the emergence of sociology.

First we look at the Industrial revolution and the effects it had on society, the advances in science and technology meant that it was now possible for society to change from a rural, agricultural way of living to an urban, industrial way of life. Where as before people...