Philosophy of Management

Fall 2023

Presentation 2-a
Week-3

Title: What would an adequate philosophy of social science look like?

Presented by: Tayyab Ali Baig

Outline
• Introduction
• The Dominant Views
• The Important Questions in Social Sciences
• The need for Synthesis in Philosophy of Social Sciences
• The Concept of Dualism
Introduction
• Opposition between Two Models of Social Sciences

• Aims to contribute a new synthesis in the philosophy of social science

• Explores nature of social phenomenon - distinction between human action and mere
bodily movement

• Discusses the rule-governed nature of human actions

• Possible responses to the nature of intentional actions; Intentinalist, definitional

behaviorist, and reference to mental states

• Critiques the limitations of humanism and naturalism

The Dominant Views
Humanism Naturalism
Social Sciences is Interpretive Social Sciences is Positivist

Seeks understanding of the meaning of particular Social Sciences as all other Natural Sciences
actions

Both views other as inadequate Both views other as inadequate

The Important Questions in Social Sciences
To understand the nature of social phenomena, difference between
human actions and mere bodily movement must be known.

• Three Important Questions

1. Relationship between internpretation and explanation
2. Nature of Social Scientific Theory
3. The role of Critique
The Important Questions in Social Sciences
• Three Important Questions

1. Relationship between internpretation and explanation

a. Social Science is both explanatory and Interpretive

b. Humanist failed to appeciate explanatory tasks VS Naturaist
misunderstood interpretation.
c. Dichotomy in Humanist and Naturalist causes questions to remain
unanswered
The Important Questions in Social Sciences
• Three Important Questions
2. Nature of Social Scientific Theory

a. Actions are performed with purpose.

b. Human behaviors can only be understood within the system of
meaning.
c. Occurance of one event is necessary condition for the occurance of
another.
d. Without specific law, valid causal explanations can be given wth
evidance.
The Important Questions in Social Sciences
• Three Important Questions

3. The role of Critique

a. Uncovers conflicts, irrationality and mechanism of repression in

social order.
b. Assessing the rationality of belief system, institutions.
The Concept of Dualism
• Approach to view social science as dichotomy in naturalism and
humanism.

• Considered inadequate
Need for Synthesis in Philosophy of Social
Sciences
• Humanist Naturalist

Must be Compatible and Complimentary

• Synthesis in Intentional phenomena for developing systematic

theories to explain causal relationships.