The article deals with the issues of W. Dilthey's social school, which have not yet been studied in sociological science. The article examines in more detail the issues of W. Dilthey's social school – W. Dilthey's contribution to the development of the social school; W. Dilthey's social, pedagogical school in the person of his students and followers. The article notes that W. Dilthey is an outstanding German philosopher, sociologist, psychologist and teacher, who had a great influence on social, pedagogical thought in the person of his students and followers. In his understanding of personality psychology, W. Diltey distinguishes between the concepts of "understanding" and "explaining" in favor of the first concept. Everything connected with the spirit, personality, activity of people –individuals, people-personalities, society, its history should not only be "explained", but also understood. For the spiritual and cognitive development of life in its "liveliness", Dilthey develops specifically "categories of life" and theories of the social school. A whole branch of German representatives of the philosophy of life, sociology and pedagogy relied on Dilthey's work. In this regard, the article examines the contribution to the social school of W. Dilthey, his students and followers: M. Frisheisen-Koehler, E. Spranger, G. Nol and T. Litt. At the same time, the article also pays attention to controversial issues.