Chapter 10 & 11 Flashcards
What are some reasons why the natural sciences have often been perceived as better or more successful than the humanities and social sciences?
stricter laws, better predictions, and more obvious progress.
How do the natural sciences and the humanities/social sciences differ in terms of their subject matter?
natural sciences : events
- occur without meaning and are explained in terms of causes.
Humanities/social sciences: actions,
- are performed with meaning and are explained in terms of reasons.
What are the characteristics of events in comparison to actions?
Events fall under causal laws and don’t require interpretation.
Actions are done for reasons, have meaning, and require interpretation.
Why is context important in understanding the meaning of actions?
Meaning is holistic, and what something means depends on the greater whole of which it is a part.
Context determines the individual elements’ identities.
How can objects be classified as objects of the natural sciences or the humanities/social sciences?
Objects that can be investigated outside of their context: objects of the natural sciences.
Objects that cannot be investigated outside of their context: objects of the humanities or social sciences.
What distinguishes nomothetic sciences from ideographic sciences?
Nomothetic sciences search for laws and are suited to the study of isolated events
Ideographic sciences aim to understand individual things and are suited to the study of actions and their specific contexts.
What is the hermeneutic circle?
the process of interpretation where understanding involves considering elements in their context
How does interpretation contribute to understanding actions and the results of actions?
Interpretation is necessary to understand actions and the results of actions, such as texts, works of art, and social arrangements. It involves considering elements in their context and understanding the back-and-forth relationship between different levels and parts of the context.
How does interpretation contribute to improving understanding?
Interpretation is a gradual ongoing process
1st: pre-understanding
2nd: thermeneutic circle or spiral
3rd increasing understanding
never really finished
What are the three ideas about interpretation?
(1) there is one correct interpretation, even if it may be unreachable;
(2) there are possibly many good interpretations, but also many less good or outright bad ones; and
(3) all interpretations are equally good.
What are the three levels of understanding proposed by Dilthey?
The three levels of understanding are elementary understanding, higher understanding, and re-experiencing.
What is re-experiencing according to Dithley?
when we succeed in recreating the original experiences
What is Absolutism?
existence of absolute truth,
there are objective and universal truths that are true regardless of the context or perspective.
What is relativism?
truth is relative and depends on the context or perspective.
What does thinking about objectivity in this way push us to do?
It pushes us to listen to diverse perspectives, broaden our own perspectives, seek agreement through argument and accommodation, and pay attention to underrepresented groups.
