TAKE HOME EXAM
PH330 Philosophy of Social Science
Please answer three questions taken from the selection below. You have 1,500 words
in total, inclusive of quotations and footnotes but exclusive of bibliographical
references, which you should list in one consolidated bibliography following your
three answers. Your answers should demonstrate your own knowledge and
understanding of the literature on which this module is based, argument and analysis,
structure and organisation, and quality of writing.
Please combine all three answers in one file. You should format your answers in line
with the standard philosophy conventions for essays. See
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/undergraduate/advice/essays/
QUESTIONS:
1. CriticallydiscussEITHERDurkheim’sdefinitionof‘socialfacts’ORWeber’s
definitionof‘socialaction’.
2. WhydoesAndersonclaimthat“valuejudgementsarenotinherently
dogmatic”?Issheright?
3. Whatisthepointofsayingthatsomethingis‘sociallyconstructed’?
4. WhatareBecker’sgroundsforclaimingthatindividual’sbehaviouris
‘forwardlooking’?Isheright?
5. ChoosingEITHERthecaseofallegedlyincomparablechoices,ORthecase
choicesthatmayleadto‘transformativeexperiences’,criticallydiscussthe
ideathatsuchchoicespresentproblemsforrationalchoicetheory.
6. Whatisthebestresponsetothechargethatrationalchoicetheoryisfalse,
becauseitassumethatpeopleareegoists?