The correct answer is Emile Durkheim
Durkheim determines the social fact as the central object of investigation in this new scientific field. The social fact is understood as a “thing” that exerts a force of coercion on the subjects, regardless of their individual will or action. The social fact imposes itself in the direction of society for the individual and is established in a way to homogenize and standardize particular behaviors, ensuring that they are collective. Purposely, Durkheim calls the social fact a “thing” to emphasize that it is an object in the scientific sense, that is, something that can be observed, defined and explained by the social scientist.