Sociology is a science

Question 1

para 1

Answer 1

• Sociology can be identified as a scientific subject according to positivists as sociology can test theories, establish laws and uncover causal relationships
• Comte and Durkheim, sociology is a positivist science as it is the analysis of social facts, Positivists believe there is an external reality to the individual and that social facts constraint independent of the individual
• Human behaviours are a response to observable social conditions explained in terms of cause-effect relationships
• Positivists just like scientists use rigorous methods which are objective and value free, For these reasons P sociologists favour quantitative methods and data
• Based on these similarities with science, positivists would strongly believe that sociology is a science

Question 2

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Answer 2

• Additionally, from a Marxism point of view, Marx claimed that his theory of development of capitalism was scientific as it was testable to a degree
• This supports the rules within determining if a subject is a scientific or not and this is according to the list, empirical, testable, theoretical, objective and cumulative
• As Marx’s theory was testable it can be said to be scientific, therefore making sociology scientific
• Additionally, Kaplan agrees that sociology can be seen to operate reconstructed logics and logics in use, so it is as scientific or as unscientific as the natural sciences
• Kaplan is suggesting the idea that how scientific is natural sciences thus has an impact on whether sociology is or not scientific

Question 3

para 2

Answer 3

• Additionally, from a Marxism point of view, Marx claimed that his theory of development of capitalism was scientific as it was testable to a degree
• This supports the rules within determining if a subject is a scientific or not and this is according to the list, empirical, testable, theoretical, objective and cumulative
• As Marx’s theory was testable it can be said to be scientific, therefore making sociology scientific
• Additionally, Kaplan agrees that sociology can be seen to operate reconstructed logics and logics in use, so it is as scientific or as unscientific as the natural sciences
• Kaplan is suggesting the idea that how scientific is natural sciences thus has an impact on whether sociology is or not scientific