Philosophy of the social sciences
Proposed to be offered next in 1996
8 points * 2 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: Two first-year sequences in BA (SocSc) disciplines
The subject will examine in weekly two-hour seminars some central philosophical theories concerning the nature and structure of science and scientific explanation (including a discussion of the claims about scientific knowledge made by the sociologists of science); an historical perspective on theories about the nature of social explanation from the Chicago School to critical theory; and theories about the nature of institutional design (with special focus on rational actor theory). The subject will also consider the role of ethics in social science and the ethics of social science. This will involve an assessment of the cases for and against cultural relativism.
Assessment
Written (3000 words): 50% * Examinations (3 hours): 50%