Eva Craane
2672529
Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
Philosophy of Science
SSA 1-3
09/02/2021
1.1 Looking at the example of Democratic Piece, it can be related to naturalism,
reductionism and normativity. In this example, the argument of Kant, that ‘the free choices
of citizens determine whether a nation goes to war’ (p. 3), can be related to reductionism,
explaining how social structures are linked to the individual who create these structures.
Furthermore, other social scientists argue that the cause of war can be found on a social
level, depending on the type of governmental institution, which relates back to the theme of
normativity, as this has to do with the norms and values within a society. Moreover, the
idea of naturalism, explaining the relation between the natural and the social, can be related
to the philosophical idea that the cause of war has to do with the human events and the
individuals who compose the communities.
Risjord, Mark (2014). Philosophy of Social Science. A Contemporary Introduction. New
York: Routledge.
1.2 Most of the recent high-profile research that has been debated has to do with the Covid-
19 virus. The fear is big amongst most people, and has increased with the recent uprising of
the new Brazilian and English Covid version. With this increase of fear, most people in my
environment are more and more cautious, but also hopeless about the future (Davies, 2021).
With the new research on Covid vaccinations, there has been a lot of anthropological
debate, but it had seem to give people a form of hope. Now that this hope is decreasing
again, it is seen in the way people behave, by observing situations in for example
supermarkets, parks and on the street.
Anthropologists are one of the many sciences that interfere with the Covid-19 virus, and
the measurements that have been taken to reduce it. Most active, however, is about the new
‘avondklok’ that has been introduced in the Netherlands, and how this influences people’s
physical and mental health, and if people follow these measurements or protest against it.
Observing and writing about these people is something that is happening a lot in the news
today, doing a form of fieldwork within a familiar environment.
This research debate about the new Covid version can be related to reductionism, as it
has to do with the social structures, and how we as individuals use of live by these
structures. The measurements to fight against Covid can be seen as the social structures, and
how well these are followed depends on the individual.
Davies, N. et al. (2021). medRxiv
Kuznar, L.A. (2021) A tale of two pandemics: evolutionary psychology, urbanism, and the
biology of disease spread deepen sociopolitical divides in the U.S.. Humanit Soc Sci
Commun 8, 42.
1.3