The article provides an overview of the classical theories of sociology and social psychology, aimed at studying social and linguistic attitudes. It tells about the formation of the concept of social attitudes, the history of development and evolution of formation. The process of formation of social attitudes V. Thomas and F. Znanetsky, their methodological measurements G. Allport, R. Lapierre, L. Thurston, V. A. Yadov, I. F. Devyatko, the problem of formation is considered on the basis of the social paradigm M. Weber, E. Durkheim, J. Habermas, E. Giddens, M. Rokich, P. Bourdieu and others.