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College notes Philosophy of Science (WF) Philosophy of Social Science, ISBN: 9780415898256
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College Notes Philosophy of Science Lecture 1-9 & Seminar 1 and 2
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Philosophy of Science: ALL LECTURE NOTES
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VOLLEDIGE samenvatting Wetenschapsfilosofie 2021
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Wetenschapsfilosofie (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 2020/2021)
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Lecture 1: Introduction to philosophy of What can be concluded from the ‘sloppysocial science science’ case?
- give reasons to look critically at
Science of not science? scientific research
- first thought:
What distinguishes science form non-
o Eliminate sloppy science
science?
o Enforce the ideals of
objective science
What is philosophy of science? If that succeeds, does this mean science is
‘objective’ after all?
What counts as ‘good’ lies on a
continuum… What’s interesting about Stapel and other
fraudulent cases?
Different disciplines utilize the scientific
method in different ways… - Sloppy science challenges the
‘common-sense view’ of science
We could be asking very different
- Scientists are looking for truth,
questions with respect to what makes a
which means…
science ‘good’
- Scientific knowledge is objective,
i.e.
o External influences should
Questions for philosophy of science:
play no role
- How is scientific knowledge o Science is all about
derived from facts? (empirical) evidence
- How do scientific theories predict - Science is based on a unique
and explain? method
- What are scientific models? What - But this supposes that there are
do models do? scientific facts ‘out there’ to be
- Can science be truly objective? discovered
What is objectivity?
- What role(s) do values play in
science, if any?
- How does science progress? What
distinguishes scientific paradigms?
- How can you apply these questions
to your own research?
‘Sloppy Science’ and the case of
Diederik Stapel
- Publication bias (failed experiments
not published)
- Lack of replicatin/reproduction of
results
- Statistical incompetence
- Lack of research ethics
,Objectivity presupposes a distinction because the expert technician has
between objective and subjective learned how to read X-ray’s
claims/points of view - The fact obtained by the X-ray
depend on having prior knowledge
Claim: scientific knowledge is
- So, (b) ‘Facts are prior to and
objective
independent of theory’ also needs
Prerequisite: clear construction of qualification
concepts
Absence of vagueness and
ambiguity
Shift from everyday language to
scientific language
Ideal: establishes clarity/avoids
equivocality
Concepts need to be precise,
specified, measurable, and free
from personal bias
Ideal: personal convictions and
values should play no role
- In some cases, facts seem observer
Counterexample: ‘Schroeder’s dependent (Schroeder’s staircase)
staircase’ - In other cases, facts seem observer
independent (X-ray)
- The same information is given to
- It’s not always clear what makes
the senses of visual system
something a ‘fact’
- But different people experience the
image in different ways Geurts’ text ‘Is what we do
- The fact on the direction of the pointless?’
stairs is affected by one’s visual
perspective - Identifying ‘causes’ and ‘laws’ in
- So, (A) ‘facts are directly given to psychology and neuroscience isn’t
careful, unprejudiced observers via always feasible
the senses’ needs qualification - Objectivity can still be problematic
even if science isn’t sloppy
Counterexample: ‘X-ray technician’
- Same information, but the novice
X-ray technician does not see what
the experts sees
- This
is
Philosophy & Social Science
From natural science to social science:
- Since the 16th/17th century: success
natural sciences
, - Since the 19th century: society has - Schütz take the perspective of
become the object of research the ‘stranger’
Smith on the insider vs outsider Questions for philosophy of social science:
perspective in social research
- Can and should research be
- Schutz: the I/O problem is ‘the ‘independent’?
most persistent methodological o E.g. how should scientists
issue in the study of religion’ deal with power and
- Theorem 1: to be a good scientist – interests, views and ideals?
and to be able to describe the - Is a ‘detached view’ necessary to
deepest level of religious do scientific research? Is there one
experiences – you have to be a right way to do research?
member of the religious community o E.g. what is the
under scrutiny role/importance of
- Theorem 2: it is obvious that a situatedness and diversity?
scholar of the study of religion is - Do group commitments and
allowed to be a member of a intension exist or are they
religious community or to have all exclusively related to individuals?
kinds of beliefs, but this o E.g. can and should social
membership and these beliefs are research be reductive?
irrelevant to the result of her - How to describe and present
scientific research’ research?
o E.g. what is the proper
mode of representation and
Opposition to the insider perspective: communication
- Biased descriptions - In which way should science be
- ‘apologetic’ (defensive, protective) practiced?
descriptions o E.g. what is the ethics of
social science research
Opposition to the outsider perspective:
- Too much emphasis on
explanations
- False reduction of insider
perspective
Central themes of philosophy of social
Best known ‘solutions’: science
- Neutral stance (e.g. methodological - Naturalism: the problem of
agnosticism) understanding and explanation in
- Reflexive stance (critical towards the social sciences
one’s own assumptions)
, e.g. is it possible to use concepts What values, rules, or norms are involved
such as ‘causality’ and in social activities?
‘explanation’ when we speak about
What values, rules or norms are involved
society?
in the scientific study of social activities?
- Reductionism: the problem of the Systems: Marx
relation between holism and
individualism in the social sciences The system determines the action of
e.g. is it possible to reduce social
institutes to their individuals
members?
- Normativity: the function of norms,
values and rules in the social
sciences individuals
e.g. are ‘subjects’ (researchers) and - It is not the consciousness of men
‘objects of research’ living in that determines their being, but, on
different worlds? the contrary, their social being that
determines their consciousness
Agents: Mill
The actions of individuals constitute the
system
- Social science is grounded in the
laws of nature of individual man
Practices: Wittgenstein
Social reality is determined by the ‘rules of
Naturalism: the game’
- Explanation & Understanding - Games absorb players
- Explaining from the outside vs. - The social role is decisive
understanding from the inside
Actors: Elster
Reductionism:
Players construct the game of social life
- Holism & Individualism
- Social events are - The actor takes on the role
explained/understood from top - Understanding social institutions by
down vs. bottom up looking at how they are shaped by
meaningful actions of individuals
Lecture 2: The standard image, Popper,
Normativity:
and values
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