Why was the Industrial Revolution so important to the rise of sociology?

Question

How did it impact the great thinkers of their time?

Answer 1

Just a guess but with the Industrial Revolution eventually came unions, work laws and acceptable work behavior.

Answer 2

Ok, I agree that there is not enough space here to fully explain it here.  However, I will give you a brief overview.  

The industrial revolution was important for the rise of sociology because it brought with it a lot of social problems.  Consider the fact that before the industrial revolution, people were largely involved in farming and living the rural life.  With the start of industrial revolution, technology, the city, and the rise of manufacturing came about.  As a result, people began to move to the city in droves to gain employment in factories, etc.  

Unfortunately, the city was not prepared to deal with the huge influx of people that came to work and live within its boundaries.  As a result, we as a society were faced with problems regarding crowding, housing, sanitation, disease, working conditions, crime and so on.  It was the industrial revolution that forced us to start paying attention to these social problems for the greater good of society.  Not mention some of the best educational institutions for studying sociology such as the University of Chicago really came about with the importance of examining city life.  

I hope this helps you.