MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
FACULTY of ECONOMICS and ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT of POLITICAL SCIENCE and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
(ADM 5224)
EPISTEMOLOGY and METHODOLOGY in SOCIAL and POLITICAL CONTEXT
Professor Dr. Örsan Ö. Akbulut
Course Objective. The course is designed to put forward the place of epistemology and methodology within social sciences and humanities, which are dominant explanatory types of social reality, in the context of the social/economic and political. This place will be determined both internally via the paradigms concerned and externally from the perspectives of critical theory and historical materialism. Methodological difference of this course is that, social sciences and humanities are not considered general abstract theories, but they are handled within the framework of the historical conditions from which they emerged. In this regard, general epistemology debate will be made on historical-economic ground. The place of epistemology will be analyzed historically in the context of social reality as a dependent variable of capitalist social reality (or formation). Furthermore, the place of the epistemology and methodology, will be problematised in the context of material bases (or substance) of the theory of science.
Course Evaluation.
Annotations to be submitted by biweekly with in-class discussions.
Content.
Introduction
Week 1
A. SOCIAL HISTORY OF EPISTEMOLOGY
Economy, Politics and Society
Economic/Social Foundations of Politics (Political Thought)
Recommended Readings
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (2012), Liberty and Property: A Social History of Western Political Thought from the Renaissance to Enlightenment, Verso.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (2008), Citizens to Lords: A Social History of Western Political Thought from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Verso.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (1997), Peasant-Citizen and Slave: The Foundations of Athenian Democracy, Verso.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood and Neal Wood (1997), A Trumpet of Sedition-Political Theory and the Rise of Capitalism-, New York University.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (1991), The Pristine Culture of Capitalism: A Historical Essay on Old Regimes and Modern States, Verso.
- Neal Wood (1988), Cicero's Social and Political Thought, University of California Press.
- Neal Wood (1983), The Politics of Locke's Philosophy:A Social Study of 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding', University of California Press.
- Neal Wood (2002), Reflections on Political Theory - A Voice of Reason from the Past- , Palgrave.
- Neal Wood (1984), John Locke and Agrarian Capitalism, University of California Press.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood and Neal Wood (1978), Class Ideology and Ancient Political Theory: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in Social Context, Oxford University Press.
- Quentin Skinner (1998), The Foundations of Modern Political Thought, MelCambridge University.
- C.B. MacPherson (1962), The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism: Hobbes to Locke, Clarendon.
- J.G.A. Pocock (2009), Political Thought and History- Essays on Theory and Method-, Cambridge.
- Jean Blonbel (1976), Thinking Politically, Westview.
- Charles A. Beard (1972), The Economic Basis of Politics, Books For Libraries Press.
- Alvin I. Goldman (2009), Social Epistemology: Theory and Applications, Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement.
- Nico Stehr (2005), Knowledge Politics, Paradigm, London.
Must Readings (1-2-3-4-5).
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2011), “The Politics of Political Science”, Review of Public Administration, Vol. 44, I.4, December, p. 1-32.
(Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2011), “Siyaset Biliminin Siyaseti”, Amme İdaresi Dergisi, C.44, S. 4, Aralık, s. 1-32. ).
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2014), “Kapitalizm ve Uluslaşma”, Amme İdaresi Dergisi, Cilt 47, Sayı 3, Eylül.
- Peter Lassman (1989), “Introduction: Politics and Social Theory”, Politics and Social Theory, P. Lassman (ed.), Routledge, London, [1-12].
- Alain Touraine (2003), “Sociology without Societies”, Current Sociology, March, Vol. 51(2), [123-131].
- Larry Patriquin (ed.) (2012), The Ellen Meiksins Wood Reader, Brill, Leiden, [“The Social History of Political Theory”, p. 141-149].
Mainstream Epistemology and Social History of Epistemology
Week 2
Recommended Readings
- Matthias Steup and Ernest Sosa (ed.) (2008), Contemporary Debates in Epistemology, Blackwell.
- Giuseppe Primiero(2008), Information and Knowledge-A Constructive Type-Theoretical Approach-, Springer.
- Ernest Sosa (2007), A Virtue Epistemology- Apt Belief and Reflective Knowledge-, Oxford.
- Richard Feldman (2003), Epistemology, Prentice-Hall.
- David Marsh and Gerry Stoker (ed.) (2002), Theory and Methods in Political Science, Palgrave.
- Michael Williams (2001), Problems of Knowledge- A Critical Introduction to Epistemology, Oxford.
- Babette E. Babich, D. Bergoffen, S. Glynn (eds.)(1997), Continental and Postmodern Perspectives in the Philosophy of Science, Aveburry.
- Christopher Norris (1997), Against Relativism- Philosophy of Science, Deconstruction and Critical Theory, Blackwell.
- Steve Fuller(1991), Social Epistemology, Indiana University Press.
- Vincent F. Hendricks (2006), Mainstream and Formal Epistemology, Cambridge.
Must Readings(6-7-8).
- Lloyd P. Gerson (2009), Ancient Epistemology, [Chapter One] “Ancient and Modern Perspectives”, [Chapter Two] “The Origin of Epistemology”, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge [1-13, 14-26].
- Michael Williams (2001), “Introduction: The Very Idea of a Theory of Knowledge”,[1-13], Problems of Knowledge- A Critical Introduction to Epistemology, Oxford.
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut, “Temel Sosyal Bilimler Olabilir mi?”, Cumhuriyet Bilim Teknoloji, 1370-19, 21 Haziran 2013.
o Bozkurt Güvenç, “Temel Sosyal Bilimler Önerisi”, Cumhuriyet Bilim Teknoloji, 1371-19, 28 Haziran 2013.
o Örsan Ö. Akbulut, “Temel Sosyal Bilimler Tartışması”, Cumhuriyet Bilim Teknoloji, 1373-19, 12 Temmuz 2013.
o Örsan Ö. Akbulut, “Orta Sınıf Fetişizmi Olarak Eğitim”, Milliyet, 31 Ağustos 2013.
Discussion Session (1) on the Economic/Social Foundations of Politics and Epistemology.
Week 3
Discussion Text[s] (1).
- Peter Burke (2008), A Social History of Knowledge, “Sociologies and Histories of Knowledge: An Introduction”, Polity, Cambridge [1-17].
- Neal Wood (1984), “A Question of Method”, [1-14], John Locke and Agrarian Capitalism, University of California Press.
B. EPISTEMOLOGIES
I. NOMOTETIC EPISTEMOLOGY
Social Sciences as a Paradigm
(Economical and Political Sphere in the Context of the Formal Seperation in Capitalist Society)
Week 4
Recommended Readings
- Gulbenkian Commission (1996), Open the Social Sciences: Report of the Gulbenkian Commission on the Restructuring of the Social Sciences, Stanford University.
- Martin Hollis (1994), The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction, Cambridge University.
- Russel Keat and John Urry (1975), Social Theory as Science, Routledge & Paul.
- Max Weber (1949), Max Weber on the Methodology of the Social Sciences, (Ed. E. Shils and H. Finch), Free.
- I. Wallerstein (1991), Unthinking Social Sciences: The Limits of Nineteenth -Century Paradigms, Polity and Blackwell.
- Toplum-Bilim ve Defter Ortak Çalışma Grubu (2001), Sosyal Bilimleri Yeniden Düşünmek-Yeni Bir Kavrayışa Doğru-, Sempozyum Bildirileri, Metis.
Empricism and Rationalism in the Context of Origin of Capitalism
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2007), Küreselleşme Ulus-Devlet ve Kamu yönetimi, TODAİE Yayınları, Ankara.
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2009), Siyaset ve Yönetim İlişkisi-Kuramsal ve Eleştirel Bir Yaklaşım, Turhan Kitabevi Yayını, 2. Baskı, Ankara.
- John Cottingham (1997), Rationalism, Thoemmes Press.
- Bruce Aune (1970), Rationalism, Empricism and Pragmatism: An Introduction, Random House.
- Michael J. Oakeshott (1962), Rationalism in Politics: and other Essays, Methuen.
- Michael Ayers –ed- (2007), Rationalism, Platonism and God, Oxford.
- Fraser Cowley (1968), Critique of Brtitish Empricism, Macmillan.
- Wilfrid Sellars (1997), Empricism and the Philosophy of Mind, Harvard.
- Stephen Davies (2003), Empricism and History, Macmillan.
- Janice Thomas (2009), The Minds of the Moderns: Rationalism, Empricism and Philosophy of Mind, McGill.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (1999), The Origin of Capitalism, Monthly Review Press.
- Maurice Dobb (1947), Studies in the Development of Capitalism, International Publishers.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood and Neal Wood (1997), A Trumpet of Sedition-Political Theory and the Rise of Capitalism-, New York University.
- Thomas Hobbes (1969), The Elements of Law, Naturel and Politic, Barnes Noble.
- John Locke (1990), Drafts for the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Clarendon Press.
- Neal Wood (1983), The Politics of Locke's Philosophy: A Social Study of 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding', University of California Press.
- Neal Wood (1984), John Locke and Agrarian Capitalism, University of California Press.
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2006), “Türkiye’de Kamu Yönetimi İncelemesini Tanımlayıcı Bir Kavram Önerisi: Ölçücülük-Ideametric”, Amme İdaresi Dergisi, Cilt 39, Sayı 4, Aralık.
Must Readings (9-10-11-12-13).
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (1972), Mind and Politics-An Approach to the Meaning of Liberal and Socialist Indivudialism, University of California Press, Berkeley, [“The Epistemological Dimension: Subject and Object”, 19-46]
- Larry Patriquin (ed.) (2012), The Ellen Meiksins Wood Reader, Brill, Leiden, [“Contrasting States: France vs. England”, p. 136-140, “Modernity vs. Capitalism: France vs. England”, p. 221-223]
- Örsan Ö. Akbulut (2012), “Kapitalizmde Siyasetin Siyasal Halleri” Memleket Siyaset ve Yönetim (MSY),Cilt 7, Sayı 17, s. 178-199.
- David Marsh and Paul Furlong (2002), “A Skin not a Sweater: Ontology and Epistemology in Political Science”, Theory and Methods in Political Science, Palgrave-MacMillan.
- Ellen Meiksins Wood (1998), “The Agrarian Origins of Capitalism”, Monthly Review, July-August.
Positivism
(Emergence or Construction of Positivism and Political Accumulation in France)
Week 5
Recommended Readings
- Auguste Comte (1880), A General View of Positivism, (translate. J. H. Bridges), Reeves and Turner.
- Auguste Comte (1856), Social Physics, C. Blanchard.
- Auguste Comte (1979), Introduction to Positive Philosophy, (translate. F. Fere), Bobbs Merrill.
- J. Gillis Harp (1995), Positivist Republic: Auguste Comte and Reconstruction of American Liberalim, Pennsylvania State University.
- Martin Hollis and Edward J. Nell (1975), Rational Economic Man: A Philosophical Critique of Neo-Classical Economics, Cambridge University.
- Anthony Giddens (1979), in A History of Sociological Analysis, T. Bottomore and R. Nisbet (eds.), Heinemann.
- Anthony Giddens (1984), The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structıration, Polity.
Logical Positivism (Fascism and Knowledge)
- Karl Popper (2002), The Poverty of Historicism, Routledge.
- Karl Popper (2002), Conjectures and Refutations: the Growth of Scientific Knowledge, Routledge.
- Karl Popper (1965), The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Harper and Row.
- Karl Popper (1996), The Myth of the Framework: in Defence of Science and Rationality, Routledge.
- Karl Popper (1972), Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach, Clarendon.
- Karl Popper (1999), Realism and the Aim of Science, Routledge.
- Karl Popper (2006), Hayat Problem Çözmektir: Bilgi, Tarih ve Politika Üzerine, (Çev. A. Nalbant), Yapı Kredi.
- Herbert Simon (1982), Models of Bounded Rationality, MIT.
Must Readings (14-15-16).
- Rene Descartes (2004), “Meditations”, Epistemology: The Big Questions, (ed.) Linda M. Alcoff, Blackwell [5-14].
- Barry Allen (2004), Knowledge and Civilization, Westview Press, “Critics and Discontents: Positivism” [31-41].
- Martin Hollis and Edward J. Nell (1975), Rational Economic Man: A Philosophical Critique of Neo-Classical Economics, “Introduction” [1-21], Cambridge University.
Discussion Session (2) on the Social Reality of Nomotetic Epistemology.
Week 6
Discussion Text[s] (2).
- Geoff Stokes (1997), “Karl Popper’s Political Philosophy of Social Science”, Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 27, 56.
- Geoff Stokes (1995), “Politics, Epistemology and Method: Karl Popper’s Conception of Human Nature”, Political Studies, XLIII.
II. IDIOGRAPHIC EPISTEMOLOGY
Humanities as a Paradigm
(Symbolic “Society” and “Social” Change in Prussia)
Week 7
Recommended Readings
- Jürgen Habermas (1988), On the Logic of the Social Sciences, (translated by. S. W. Nicholsen and J. A. Stark), MIT.
- Josef Bleicher (1980), Contemporary Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics as Method, Philosophy and Critique, Routledge&Kegan Paul.
- Paul Ricoeur (1998), Hermeneutics and the Human Sciences, (tr.by. J. B. Thompson), Cambridge.
- Hans- Georg Gadamer (2008), Philosophical Hermeneutics, (tr.by. D.E. Linge), University of California Press.
- Gianni Vattimo (1991), The End of Modernity: Nihilism and Hermeneutics in Post-modern Culture, .
- Michael Devitt and Laurence BonJour (2008), Contemporary Debates in Epistemology, Matthias Steup and Ernest Sosa (ed.), Blackwell.
- Richard J, Bernstein (1983), Beyond Objectivism and Relativism-Science, Hermeneutics and Praxis, University of Pennsylvania Press.
- William Outhwaite (1987), New Philosophies of Social Sciences: Realism, Hermeneutics, and Critical Theory, St. Martin’s Press.
- Gianni Vattimo (1997), Beyond Interpretation: The Meaning of Hermeneutics for Philosophy.
- Zygmunt Bauman (1978), Hermeneutics and Social Science-Approaches to Understanding-, Routledge.
- I. Wallerstein (2004), The Uncertainities of Knowledge, Temple University.
- Brian Fay (1996), Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science: A Multicultural Approach, Blackwell.
- Richard E. Lee and I. Wallerstein (2004), Overcoming the Two Cultures: Science versus the Humanities in the Modern World-System, Paradigm.
- İlkay Sunar (1986), Düşün ve Toplum, Birey ve Toplum.
Must Reading (17).
- Hans Georg Gadamer (2004), “The Hermeneutic Circle”, Epistemology: The Big Questions, (ed.) Linda M. Alcoff, Blackwell [232-247].
Week 8
Unification of the Cultural and Social Science: Max Weber or Rise of the Capitalism in Germany
- Max Weber (1978), Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, University of California Press.
- Max Weber (1958), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, (trans. T. Parsons), Scribner.
- Randall Collins (1986), Max Weber -A Skeleton Key-, Sage.
- Doğan Özlem (1999), Max Weber’de Bilim ve Sosyoloji, Küyerel.
- Ralph Schroeder, Max Weber ve Kültür Sosyolojisi, (Çev. Mehmet Küçük), Bilim ve Sanat.
- Arthur Warmoth (2000), Social Constructionist Epistemology, Sonoma State Uni.
Must Reading (18).
- Christopher Norris (1997), “Hermeneutics, Anti-Realism and Philosophy of Science” [133-166], Against Relativism- Philosophy of Science, Deconstruction and Critical Theory, Blavkwell.
Discussion Session (3) on the Social Reality of Idiographic Epistemology.
Week 9
Discussion Text[s] (3)
- Julien Freund (1968), The Sociology of Max Weber, (tr.by. M. Liford), “Weber’s Methodology”, Pantheon Books, [37-86].
- Fritz Ringer (2000), Max Weber’s Methodology: The Unification of the Cultural and Social Science, “Interpretation and Explanation” [92-122], Harvard University Press.
III. HISTORICAL MATERIALISM
Historical Materialism (Nature, Human and Society)
Week 10
Recommended Readings
- Karl Marx ([1867] 2011), Capital-A Crituque of Political Economy-, Dover.[1]
- Karl Marx (1977), Critigue of Hegel’s Philosophy of Rights, Cambridge.
- Karl Marx ([1859] 2008), A Contribution to the Critigue of Political Economy, Book Jungle.