Understanding Social Science and Philosophical Inquiry
Social Science Methods
The goal of social science is to understand social reality. This pursuit gives the social sciences the following features:
- Predictive capacity is lower than in natural sciences.
- Generalization ability is lower than in natural sciences.
- Value neutrality is often impossible.
Do social sciences use the same methods as natural sciences? The response points to two different traditions: the empirical-analytic and the hermeneutic. The first tradition advocates applying the methods of natural science to social phenomena, while the second argues that social sciences have a different status and must adopt their own methodology.
This distinction opened up two kinds of methodological approaches:
- To explain a phenomenon is to know the causes that produce it.
- To understand an event consists of grasping its meaning.
Authors often use a notion of comprehensive explanation because, at times, explanation and understanding cannot be separated. Social science techniques can be quantitative and qualitative.
Philosophical Knowledge
Historical Origin: Mythos and Logos
Western philosophy was born in Greece in the sixth century BC, with logos prevailing over mythos. Both “mythos” and “logos” are expressions translated from Greek words. The first thinkers adopted a philosophical attitude to decipher the problems posed by the universe. Admiration arises from an enigmatic world, which raises all sorts of questions.
Doubt, an awareness of not knowing and the need for knowledge, is another element that moves us to philosophize. This doubt implies not being satisfied with the first solution found for the endless universe and the enigmas of life itself.
The Nature of Philosophy
Philosophy as a Quest for Truth
Philosophy is characterized by being a love of wisdom. The philosophy driven by admiration is thus linked to the awareness of our ignorance. The philosopher is a cross between the wise and the ignorant. As Greek philosophers say, by going beyond the sensible world, reason opens itself to true and genuine reality.
Philosophy as the Pursuit of Happiness
Philosophers soon became interested in knowing not only out of a desire to know, but also to figure out how to be happy. Since all human beings want to be happy, the big question is what we must do to achieve happiness, individually and communally. This completes the notion of a wise person: in addition to the knowledge of truth, it includes knowing how to live well, that is, besides being happy, to be just. From its origins, philosophy faces the double task of knowing and learning to live well.
Theoretical vs. Practical Philosophy
Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, introduced a distinction between theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. Theoretical philosophy is concerned with the knowledge of reality; it also includes metaphysical reflections. Practical philosophy deals with action. In recent decades, there has been a shift towards the primacy of practical philosophy over theory, leading to a focus on applied philosophy, especially when asked to provide guidance to address ethical issues presented in medicine.
Philosophical Knowledge Today
Theoretical Philosophy
- Logic
- Propaedeutic, studying the rules of thinking.
- Metaphysics
- Understanding the structure of reality.
- Ontology
- Treatise on being.
- Epistemology or Theory of Knowledge
- Treatise on the fundamentals and nature of knowledge.
- Theodicy
- Treatise on the rational justification of God.
- Philosophical Anthropology
- Study of the problem of human reality.
- Philosophy of Nature
- Reflections on the physical world.
- Philosophy of Science and Technology
- Examines the foundations, methods, and implications of science and technology.
- Philosophy of Language
- Investigates the nature of language, meaning, and communication.
Practical Philosophy (Action)
- Moral Philosophy or Ethics
- Study of moral principles and values.
- Philosophy of Art or Aesthetics
- Exploration of beauty, art, and taste.
- Philosophy of Economics
- Examines the foundations and ethical implications of economic systems.
- Philosophy of Law
- Investigates the nature of law and justice.
- Political Philosophy
- Study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority.
- Philosophy of Religion
- Examines religious concepts, beliefs, arguments, and practices.
The Purpose of Philosophy
Our contemporary world is marked by two key social traits: the rapid pace of change and the accelerated rhythm of life. While knowledge is highly valued, there’s also an attraction to alleged esoteric and millenarian knowledge.
More than ever, we need to engage with philosophy, which strives to carry out essential tasks summarized as follows:
- To unravel fundamental truths.
- To aim for universality in understanding.
- To provide criteria for rational criticism.
- To discover these criteria through reflection.
- To exercise its critical function through argumentation.
- To present arguments within a systematic structure.
- To provide integrating knowledge.