Final answer:
Émile Durkheim proposed a new social science based on the study of society, analytically distinct from individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the beginning of the 20th century, the influential French sociologist Émile Durkheim proposed a new social science that would be based on the study of society, analytically distinct from the individuals from whose behavior those facts were inferred.
In his works, Durkheim focused on understanding social phenomena and how they affected individuals and groups. He believed that society could be studied scientifically, much like the natural sciences, and that by studying social facts, like religious beliefs or educational systems, sociologists could gain insights into human behavior and society as a whole.