香港科技大学 社会科学原理 课件ssma501_lecture1.pptVIP

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Law Theory Theory Theory * * * * * * * * * * * * Ontological Difference Definition: Ontology is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of existence or reality, i.e., the science of being. Platos definition of true knowledge the world of being vs. the world of becoming.” Natural science takes the world of being as the true reality and their subject of study. Social science takes the world of becoming as the true reality and their subject of study. Epistemological Difference Definition: Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge, i.e., the science of knowing. Natural science is interested in typical phenomena. Social science is interested in the complete distribution of all individual cases. Typological Thinking vs. Population Thinking Typological Thinking Plato’s world of being Experimental paradigm Single exception can overturn the theory. Population Thinking Statistical approach to social science Aggregates, not individuals Probabilistic patterns that allow exceptions Methodological Difference Natural science can isolate extraneous factors through the use of experiments in labs. Social scientists have to work with data in natural settings, called observational data, which are confounded by extraneous factors. Measurement issues. Natural phenomeonon can be measurement more precisely that social phenomenon 3. “Alleged obstacles?” Positivist View and George Lundberg George Lundberg “Alleged Obstacles”? Lundberg’s Answers George Lundberg George Lundberg was an American sociologist (1895-1966). He was a positivist. He was a vigorous and influential advocate of the pursuit of sociological knowledge by the method of natural science. George Lundberg His two-step recipe: (a) Sociological concepts should be quantified. (b) Sociologists should abandon traditional moralistic orientati