Social phenomena examples free#

The product of such observations are in general spoken of as data or givens. Anyone who understands the language, in which they are expressed could, in principle, verify them.ДЇourth, being a rider to the proceeding themes, that such statements are required to have been made by a supposedly 'disinterested' spectator to a particular state of affairs, who - in the function of observer - simply operates as a neutral registrar, that is, one who simply registers what is the case or simply records a matter of fact.ДЇinally that such simple, descriptive observations are pre-explanatory and that they have neither any hypothetical nor theoretical content, nor do they thereby rely upon any form of pre-judgement or subjective interpretation.

Thus they contain no moral exhortations, but also, they are supposedly free of any evaluative judgement or of so-called subjective content. Thirdly, being an extension of the first and second themes, such statements-being only descriptive are not normative. Secondly, - being a variation of the first - that observational statements have a purely descriptive content, being simple. I shall concentrate mainly upon the following chief themes:-ДЇirstly, that simple and direct observations can be made and expressed in language so that nothing but the observational content is included. Moore and, conversely - in a most sophisticated and complex fashion by certain of the logical positivists. For example, it is dealt with in a simple commonsensical way by G.E. The notion of simple, descriptive observation to which I refer has been developed and expressed in a great number of ways. This view has, from time to time, been defended by scientists engaged in talking about the ways in which their knowledge is derived, as well as by certain philosophers of science -particularly thinkers in the empirical and positivistic traditions. I shall begin by sketching a prevalent view or notion of observation that derives from the practice of science - particularly the natural sciences. It is not so much -or not primarily- in everyday language that the concepts these expressions denote are problematical, but in the language and praxis of the sciences to which they variously belong, or from which they have arisen. In order to speak about the nature of 'observation' and 'understanding' in respect of the social sciences, I have chosen the approach of considering the traditional context of thought in which the words have mostly been, and frequently still are being, used. Institute for of Philosophy, University of Oslo Public lecture for the Norwegian Magistergrad ('Klassisk Magistergrad' equivalent PhD) - July 1968. OBSERVATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL PHENOMENA On the observation and understanding of social phenomena

Social phenomena examples free#