PHL 122 - History & Philosophy of The Social Sciences

4 Credit(s)

This course will introduce students to the historical development of the social sciences. Comparisons will be made between philosophies of social science and philosophies of natural science on the one hand, and philosophies of history on the other. Primary emphasis will be placed on controversies over the philosophy of knowledge and the proper ethical role of the social scientist in society, including: positivism vs. post-positivism, agency vs. structure, and description vs. explanation vs. interpretation vs. critique. Students will demonstrate understanding of course content through writing assignments and oral debates. Lecture and group discussion.

(Fall Even-Years)