CONTENTS: The Objects of Social Investigation Freedom and Law The Real Will The Will of the State Varying Applications of the Metaphysical Theory Conclusion Appendix: Hegel's Theory of the Will The Theory of the Absolute Index. Leonard Trelawney Hobhouse, more commonly known as L.T. Hobhouse, was a British sociologist (1864 - 1929) known for his comparative studies of social development. He was one of the leading social theorists of his generation and is noted for his prominence in the fields of liberalism and sociology. In 1907 he became the first Professor of Sociology in a British university. He was pivotal in the establishment and foundation