52 Questions
What is a primary concern in combining epistemology and ontology?
Addressing the difficulties of studying the human world
What is a characteristic of methodological debates in sociology?
They are situated historically and influenced by their time
What is a key challenge in combining a normative, modernising approach with scientific truth claims?
Reconciling contradictory approaches
What was the perceived benefit of sociology's scientific approach?
Freeing modern societies from theological/metasphysical foundations
What is a consequence of claiming a strict fact-value distinction in social sciences?
A covering up of the modernising agenda
What are the two connected narratives that emerged in the self-understanding of modernity?
Modernising and Enlightenment narratives
What is the primary assumption of scientism regarding human beings?
They are separate from reality and can observe it objectively.
What is the problem with the reduction of experience to 'objective knowledge' in the sense of the scientific method?
It is ultimately untenable.
What is the role of metaphysics, theology, history, and religion in a comprehensive knowledge discourse?
They are included as they provide alternative perspectives.
What is the consequence of combining 'critique, rationalism, empiricism, the scientific method, and progress' in the Enlightenment thought?
A toxic social, political, and philosophical cocktail.
What is the primary focus of critical rationalism?
The application of reason to social, economic, and political issues.
What is the Enlightenment's approach to the social sciences?
Fusing the founding concepts with the concept of progress.
What is implied by the notion of 'social engineering' in the context of Enlightenment thought?
The use of scientific discourse to legitimate and shape social processes
What is the consequence of reducing human beings to mere 'brain' operations and cognitive processes?
The disappearance of human nature as a point of concern
What is the problem with the Enlightenment view of human nature as an 'empty sheet of paper'?
It denies an essence to human nature
What is the relation between scientific discourse and social engineering in the context of the emerging social sciences?
Scientific discourse is a form of social engineering
What is the implication of the 'construction of science as a salvationist project'?
Science is seen as a form of Ersatz-religion
What is the problematic implication of the Enlightenment view of human nature?
It reinforces a nihilistic conception of the world
The sequence 'evolution-revolution-progress' is a direct representation of the Christian worldview of human history.
False
Critical rationalism focuses primarily on the critique of metaphysics and theology.
True
Scientism reduces human beings to mere cognitive processes and brain operations.
True
The fact-value distinction is a key assumption of critical rationalism.
False
The Enlightenment view of human nature is that it is an empty slate, shaped entirely by external factors.
True
Human beings are outside of reality, according to scientism.
False
The fact-value distinction can ultimately operate in the sense of the scientific method.
False
Critical rationalism is uncritical of the status quo.
False
Metaphysics, theology, history, and religion are not part of an encompassing knowledge discourse about reality, truth, or knowledge.
False
The Enlightenment fused the founding concepts of the social sciences with the concept of progress.
True
The combination of 'critique, rationalism, empiricism, the scientific method, and progress' in the Enlightenment thought is harmless.
False
Methodological debates in sociology were not situated historically and did not take into account their own time.
False
The Enlightenment approach to the social sciences was primarily focused on understanding human nature as complex and multifaceted.
False
Critical rationalism rejects the idea that knowledge can be constructed through objective, value-free methods.
True
The fact-value distinction is a central tenet of critical rationalism.
False
Metaphysics and theology played a significant role in the development of modern sociology.
False
Reducing human experience to 'objective knowledge' is a hallmark of scientism.
True
What is the primary flaw in the Enlightenment's assumption about human beings?
Human beings are presumed to be outside of reality.
What is the consequence of combining 'critique, rationalism, empiricism, the scientific method, and progress' in the Enlightenment thought?
A toxic social, political, and philosophical cocktail.
What is the primary focus of critical rationalism?
The application of reason to social, economic, and political issues with a concern for progress, emancipation, and improvement.
What is the problem with reducing human experience to 'objective knowledge'?
It is ultimately untenable.
What is the role of metaphysics, theology, history, and religion in a comprehensive knowledge discourse?
They are part of an encompassing knowledge discourse about reality, truth, or knowledge.
What is the primary limitation of the Enlightenment's approach to the social sciences?
The reduction of human beings to mere cognitive processes and brain operations.
How does the sequence 'evolution-revolution-progress' relate to the Christian worldview of human history?
It is a secularized version of the Christian worldview, replacing St. Augustine's account with the idea of historic progress.
What is the primary critique of scientism regarding human beings?
It reduces human beings to mere brain operations and cognitive processes.
What is the central tenet of critical rationalism regarding the fact-value distinction?
It rejects the idea of a strict fact-value distinction.
What is the problem with the Enlightenment view of human nature?
It views human nature as an empty sheet of paper, shaped entirely by external factors.
What role do metaphysics and theology play in an encompassing knowledge discourse?
They are part of a comprehensive knowledge discourse about reality, truth, or knowledge.
What is the underlying assumption of scientism that reduces human beings to mere cognitive processes and brain operations, and what are the implications of this reduction?
Scientism assumes that human beings can be understood solely through the lens of scientific inquiry, reducing human experience to 'objective knowledge'. This reduction implies that human beings are mere brain operations and cognitive processes, ignoring the complexities and multifaceted nature of human existence.
How does critical rationalism approach the concept of metaphysics and theology in the context of knowledge discourse?
Critical rationalism is critical of metaphysics and theology, rejecting the idea that they can contribute to an encompassing knowledge discourse about reality, truth, or knowledge.
What is the fact-value distinction, and what are the implications of claiming a strict fact-value distinction in the social sciences?
The fact-value distinction is the idea that scientific knowledge can be separated from normative values and judgments. Claiming a strict fact-value distinction in the social sciences implies that scientific knowledge can be objective and value-free, which can be problematic and misleading.
What is the problem with reducing human experience to 'objective knowledge' in the sense of the scientific method?
Reducing human experience to 'objective knowledge' ignores the complexities and multifaceted nature of human existence, failing to account for the role of values, norms, and subjective experiences in shaping human understanding.
What role do metaphysics and theology play in the development of modern sociology, and what are the implications of excluding them from knowledge discourse?
Metaphysics and theology played a significant role in the development of modern sociology, but they were excluded from knowledge discourse in the pursuit of scientific objectivity. This exclusion implies that metaphysics and theology are not relevant to understanding human society and experience.
How does the Enlightenment view of human nature relate to the concept of progress, and what are the implications of this view?
The Enlightenment view of human nature is that it is an empty slate, shaped entirely by external factors, and that human beings can be improved through progress. This view implies that human beings are malleable and can be shaped through scientific inquiry and social engineering.
Explore the recurring debates in the history of social sciences, focusing on the intersection of epistemology and ontology. Understand the challenges of studying the human world and the significance of methodology in sociology.
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