180117 SE Philosophy of the Social Sciences (2016W)

This course introduces students to the main debates in philosophy of the social sciences. Departing from questions about the nature of society and our knowledge of it, we will discuss what it is that social scientists study; the different methods that are applied in the social sciences; the doctrine of Verstehen and how it is different from scientific explanation; the debate about individualism versus holism; whether the social sciences can be objective; and the role of value judgments in the social sciences. We will address questions such as: Is there something like a group mind and if so how does it differ from the individual’s mind? What are the different methods of the social sciences and how appropriate are those methods to study the social world? Are there laws in the social sciences? What are social facts and how can we observe them? What is the scope of rational choice explanations? And can social scientists be objective? In discussing these and related questions by closely engaging with our readings, students will learn to reconstruct and engage with arguments in depth, formulate their own arguments, and thereby formulate their own positions. We will
particularly focus on examples from economics, political science, and sociology.