WEEK 1- L1.2 philosophy of social science | positivism, scientific realism, interpretivism Flashcards
what’s ontology?
discusses the nature of the social world, if there’s a reality independent of the observer
what’s epistemology?
what can we know about social phonomena
what’s methodology?
how do we gain and obtain knowledge
what’s positivism?
search for the truth through systematic collection of observable facts
who’s a proponent of positivism?
august compte- father of sociology
different positions of positivism? (3)
- classical positivism
- logical positivism
- falsification (popper)
what’s classical positivism?
assumes that the social sciences are equivalent to the natural sciences
what are the basic tenants of classical positivism?
- naturalism: social sciences= natural sciences
- empiricism: knowledge of the world is limited to sensory experience
- laws: social world is subject to regular and systematic processes; laws are explanatory and predictive
basic tenants of classical positivism? (4)
- naturalism: social sciences= natural sciences
- empiricism: knowledge of the world is limited to sensory experience
- laws: social world is subject to regular and systematic processes; laws are explanatory and predictive
empirical observations are enough to establish a causal r.ship- no need for underlying reasons - science is objective and value free
what approach is positivism based on?
induction
observation => theory
what’s logical positivism?
empiricism isn’t the only source of knowledge
what approach is logical positivism based on?
deduction
theory => observation
retroduction
<=> observation
basic tenants of logical positivism
- empiricism + logical reasoning
a. deduction, retroduction, verification
critique of logical positivism by karl popper
- rejection of induction: observations can’t justify universal claims
- rejection of verifiability: attempting to prove right isn’t useful, one exception and theory is gone
critique of logical positivism by karl popper
- rejection of induction: observations can’t justify universal claims
- rejection of verifiability: attempting to prove right isn’t useful, one exception and theory is gone
what does karl popper suggest a goal of a research should be?
to falsify a theory
who founded the deductive nomological model?
carl gustav hempel
what’s hempel’s deductive nomological model?
an observed phenomenon is explained if it can be deduced from a universal law-like generalization
- law expresses necessary connection between properties, accidental generalization doesn’t
what’s the hypothetico deductive model?
confirms that a generalization is a law by treating the generalization as a hypothesis
testing the ability of law to predict events
law => hypothesis => explicit processes
what are the two conclusion options for hypothetico deductive model?
- prediction correct- hypothesis corroborated
- prediction incorrect- hypothesis falsified
what’s the similarities btw positivism and scientific realism? (2)
- social and natural worlds are similar
- objective reality exist
what’s the key difference btw positivism and scientific realism? (4)
- scientific realism says that reality can consist of
- unobservable elements too - like structural relationships
- assesment by observable consequences
- causal mechanisms instead of lawlike generalizations
- best theory is the one that explains phenomena the best
what are some examples of mechanisms- scientific realism ? (charles tilly) (3)
- environmental: externally generated influences on conditions affecting social life
- cognitive: operate through alterations of individual and collective perceptions
- relational: alter connections among people, groups, and interpersonal networks
micro-level (individualism) ontology
the basic unit of society are individuals, and social phenomena are the combined results of individual actions