To meet these objectives, the course will deal with the following themes:
1. epistemological issues within the Social Sciences, such as :
- what sets the Human Sciences apart from the Natural Sciences (debate to explain and understand)
- the debate on individualistic and holistic methodologies (existence of collective entities)
- the issue of ethnocentricity
- the issue of the relationship between layman's knowledge and expert knowledge
2. Standard issues in the Social Sciences such as:
- axiological neutrality and the researcher's involvement in the Social Sciences
- the distinction between traditional theory and critical theory
- the prescriptive foundations of the great theoretical paradigms of actor-network theory and social action theory (utilitarian tradition, Weberian tradition, Hegelian and Marxist tradition)
- the question of the justice
3.the issue of history: evolutionary theories, dialectic theories, Kantian and Fichtian theories
Aims
This course aims to introduce students to:
1. the basic epistemology of the Social Sciences;
2. standard issues in the Social Sciences;
3. the basic paradigms of historical philosophy
Content
The lectures are completed by readings of texts. A particular attention will be dedicated to the precise analysis of the commented extracts A detailed understanding of texts will be expected from the student.