Philosophy Department

1200 Academy St. Kalamazoo, MI 49006
 
 
 
 
 

 PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

 SPRING, 1999

 KALAMAZOO COLLEGE

PROFESSOR: Chris Latiolais
Philosophy Department
Kalamazoo College
Humphrey House #202
Offices Hours:
 1) Mon. 2:00 - 3:45
 2) Tues. 10:30 - 11:30
 3) By Appointment.
 

COURSE GOALS:

  This course introduces students to the basic epistemological and normativepresuppositions of the social inquiry by surveying both classical and contemporary debates on the logic of the social sciences.  Case studies of classical debates raise the following questions: What distinguishes the social sciences from both the Humanities and the sciences of nature?  In studying human beings, do social researchers look at the micro-level -- for the causes, reasons, motives, meanings, or rules of individual actions -- or, at the macro-level -- for social functions, institutions, structures, practices and fields?  How do micro-individual and macro-social levels of explanation connect up?  Do social scientists explain or interprethuman affairs?  Are the social sciences "descriptive," "prescriptive" or both?  Contemporary case studies raise the following questions: How has the critique of Western Logocentrismaltered traditional conceptions of individual and social development?  Do the Western social sciences offer universal standards of rationality or merely one -- among many — ethical value systems?  Are radical ethnomethodology and multiculturalism alternatives to, or merely critical realignments of, the Western social sciences.  This course is intended as an historical and critical introduction to contemporary debates about multiculturalism.
 
 
 

EVALUATION:

  Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, vocabulary quizzes, midterm examinations and a final paper.
 

Class Participation Seminar presentations and discussion 20%
Midterm examinations 2 @ 15% each 30%
Quizzes 5 @ 5% each 25%
Final Paper 10-15 pages 25%
 
 

POLICIES:

          Open, respectful and critical discussion is the life-blood of this course.  Quizzes
     offer students and professor the opportunity to identify and to clarify central terms/concepts.
     The midterm examinations test comprehension of key philosophical issues, and the final
     paper offers students the opportunity to respond in depth to a single topic.  The final paper
     is due on the day scheduled for the final examination.  3 unexcused absences will result in
     a full grade reduction.
 
 

TEXTS:

     1.  Bohman, James: New Philosophy of the Social Science (The MIT Press, Cambridge,
     Massachusetts 1993).

      2.  Martin, Michael & McIntyre, Lee (eds.): Readings in the Philosophy of the SocialSciences
      (The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1993).

     3.  [Excerpts] Bernstein, Richard: Beyond Objectivism and Relativism (University of
     Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 1987).

     4.  Gutmann, Amy: Multiculturalism and the "Politics of Recognition" (Princeton University
     Press, Princeton New Jersey 1992).
 
 

INTRODUCTION:

TUE., MARCH 29TH.                                                                                                 WEEK ONE
 

A. TRADITIONAL DEBATES CONCERNING THE LOGIC OF THE SOCIAL
SCIENCEES.

THUR., APRIL 1ST.

 1.   Multiculturalism and the "Politics of Recognition" [read before Tuesday].

 2.  FILM: My Beautiful Launderette
 
 

TUES., APRIL 6TH.                                                                                                     WEEK TWO

 1.  Lecture: Multiculturalism and the "Politics of Recognition"

 2.  Introduction (Bohman).

 3.  "The Old Logic of the Social Sciences" (Bohman).

WEDNESDAY EVENING FILM: Hester Street.

THURS., APRIL 8TH.

     1.   "The Old Logic of the Social Sciences"  (Cont.).

     2.  Quiz #1.
 

B.  THE NEW LOGIC OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES:

TUE., APRIL 13TH                                                                                                      WEEK THREE
 
 1.  "The New Logic of the Social Sciences: Rules, Rationality, and Explanation" (Bohman).

 2.  Introduction to Part 3: Interpretation and Meaning. (Martin 157-163).
 

THURS., APRIL 15TH.

     1.  "Human Nature and Human History," R.  G. Collingwood  (pp. 163-173).

     2.  "The Rationale of Actions," William Dray (pp. 173-181).

     3.  Quiz #2.
 

INTERPREATION AND MEANING: THE VERSTEHEN APPROACH:
 

TUE., APRIL 2OTH.                                                                                             WEEK FOUR
     1.  "Interpretation and Indeterminacy" (Bohman, pp. 102-146).
 

THURS., APRIL 22ND.

     1.  "Interpretation and the Science of Man," Charles Taylor (pp. 181-213).

     2.  Quiz. #3.
 

TUE., APRIL 27TH:                                                                                                              WEEK FIVE

     1.  "Thick Description: "Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture," Clifford Geertz  (Martin, pp.
     213-233).

     2.   "Hermeneutics and the Hypothetical-Deductive Method," Dagfinn Follesdal (Marin, pp. 233-247).
 

THURS., APRIL 29TH.

     1.  "Another Look at the Doctrine of Verstehen," Jane Roland Martin (pp. 247-259).

     2.  "Taylor on Interpretation and the Sciences of Man," Michael Martin (pp. 259-281).

     3.  Midterm Examination # 1.
 

RATIONALITY AND INTEPRETATION:
 

TUES., MAY 4TH.                                                                                                        WEEK SIX

     1.  "Some Problems about Rationality," Steven Lukes (pp. 285-299).

     2.  "The Status of Rationality Assumptions in Interpretation and in the Explanation of Action,"
     Dagfinn Follesdal (pp. 299-311).
 

THURS., MAY 6TH.

     1.  "The Principle of Charity and the Problem of Irrationality (Translation and the Problem
     of Rationality (Martin, 323-343).

     2.  Quiz #4.
 

FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS:

TUES., MAY 11TH.                                                                                                                  WEEK SEVEN

     1.  "Functional Explanation: In Social Science" Jon Elster (Martin 403-415).

     2.  "Assessing Functional Explanations in the Social Sciences," Harold Kincaid (pp. 415-429).
 

THURS., MAY 13TH.

     1.  Midterm Examination #2.
 

REDUCTIONISM, INDIVIDUALISM AND HOLISM:
 

TUES., APRIL 18TH.                                                                                                        WEEK EIGHT

     1.  "Social Facts" Emile Durkhein (Martin, 433-441).

     2.  "The Macro-Micro Relation" (Bohman).
 

THURS., APRIL 20TH.

     1.  "Reduction, Explanation, and Individualism" Harold Kincaid (Martin, 496-515).

     2.  Quiz # 5.
 

RATIONALITY; OBJECTIVITY AND VALUE:

TUES., MAY 25TH.                                                                                                              WEEK NINE

     1.  "Criticism and Explanation" (Bohman).
 

THURS., MAY 27TH.

     1.  "Conclusion: Philosophy and the Social Sciences" (Bohman).

TUES., JUNE 1ST.                                                                                                                  WEEK TEN

     1.  Review.

THURS., JUNE 3RD.

     1.  Student Evaluations.
 

FINALS WEEK