PHIL 154.001 – Philosophy of the Social Sciences

Instructor: Michael Prinzing. This course meets MWF 10:10 – 11:00 a.m. in CW 105.

This class explores philosophical issues surrounding social scientific research. We will investigate questions such as: What makes a science “social”? Do values necessarily pervade social scientific research? If they do, does that pose a problem for the “objectivity” of these sciences? How should social scientists go about clarifying ordinary concepts in their research? This course is intended to help students to develop considered views on the nature of social science, and the proper role of these fields in our society. A secondary goal is to help students to improve their critical reasoning, reading, and writing skills. The course is intended both for students planning on majoring in philosophy as well as in various social sciences. It does not presume a background in either.