Epistemology of Social Sciences

Teacher(s)

De Munck Jean;

Language

French

Main themes

The course will be focused on current issues in epistemology of social sciences (sociology and anthropology). 1 post-parsonian sociological theory. Landmarks of contemporary debates in epistemology, in the French-speaking world as well as German and Anglo-Saxon contexts. Mapping of the discussions ; comments on contradictions, differences etc. 2. Main epistemological issues, in a traditional and a contemporary light. A dialogue is established between classical writings and contemporary texts. One of the aims is to show the continuities/discontinuities between historical and current frames of epistemological issues. 3. Reading of relevant litterature.

Content

This specialized course of epistemology will try to open the way of a critical sociological theory. The following topics will be dealt with:
(1) the Marxist pattern of a critical theory and the reformulation of Horkheimer in 1937 (traditional versus critical theory);
(2) the constructivist approach of Bruno Latour (Actor-Network Theory);
(3) the pragmatic sociology of Luc Boltanski;
(4) post-structuralism and post-colonialism;
(5) the “ecology of knowledge” (Boaventura de Sousa Santos);
(6) The Capability Approach of Amartya Sen;
(7) Jürgen Habermas’ communicative action theory.

Bibliography

• Notes de cours on-line (site Moodle)

Teaching materials

• Notes de cours on-line (site Moodle)

Faculty or entity

PSAD