RESEARCH MASTER IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
(2015-2016)
Issues in Social Epistemology and Sociology of
Knowledge
(4 ECTS)
INSTRUCTORS:
Luis A. Pérez Miranda & Maialen Garmendia
1. DESCRIPTION AND MAIN GOALS
In the first part of the course, we analyse and discuss a selection of subjects of interest in social
epistemology: argumentation, collective doxastic attitudes, and decision procedures. As we will see,
social epistemology enhances the social dimension of knowledge without rejecting a concern for
individual epistemic decision-making.
In the second part, we will focus our attention on epistemological issues regarding social research. We
will analyse the nature of quantitative and qualitative research and the implications of both approaches on
the research activity. We will also analyse and discuss some research designs in order to identify the
advantages and disadvantages of both approaches related to the study of a subject matter. Finally, we will
discuss about the political implications of social research.
2. STRUCTURE and CONTENTS
First Part: Issues in Social Epistemology (3 ECTS)
0. Introduction
1. Argumentation and social epistemology
1.1 Argumentation and argument
1.2 Basic rules for constructing short arguments
1.3 Types of arguments:
1.3.1 Deductive arguments
1.3.2 Arguments by example
1.3.3 Arguments from authority
1.3.4 Arguments about causes
1.3.5 Arguments by analogy
1.4 The goodness of argumentation: Alvin I. Goldman
2. Collective social epistemology
2.1 Collective beliefs and judgments
2.2 The theory of judgment aggregation
3. Decision procedures and epistemology
3.1 Condorcet: an epistemic approach to democracy
3.2 The Majority rule: problems and variants
4. Social science and method
4.1 The Nature of Quantitative Research
4.2 The Nature of Qualitative Research
4.3 The Debate about Quantitative and Qualitative Research
5. From prevalence to meaning: Different approaches for the same subject matter
6. Is Social Research Political?
3. ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION
Every student will be expected to participate in classroom discussions and presentations, and do the
proposed exercises and comments on selected readings.
Every student will write a short paper about one of the themes of interest discussed along the course.
4. BACKGROUND READING
Bogdan, R. and Tylor, S. J. (1975) Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods: A Phomenological
Approach to the Social Sciences. New York, Wiley.
Bryman, A. (1998), Quantity and Quality in Social Research. London, Routledge.
Gilbert, M. (1989), On social facts. London, Routledge, 1989.
Goldman, A. (2011), “A guide to social epistemology”. In Social Epistemology Essential Readings: 1137. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Goldman, A. and Thomas Blanchard (2011), Social Epistemology. Oxford Bibliographies Online.
Lobe, B., Livingstone, S., Olafsson, K., and Simões, J. A. (2008) Best Practice Research Guide: How to
research children and online technologies in comparative perspective.London, EU Kids Online
(Deliverable D4.2).
Hargreaves, S. et al. (1992), The Theory of Choice. Oxford, Blackwell.
Hammersley, M. (1995), The Politics of Social Research, London, Sage.
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (1983), Ethnography: Principles in Practice, London, Tavistock.
Hollis, M. (1994), The Philosophy of Social Sciences. Cambridge, Cambridge.
Marsh, C. (1982) the Survey Method: The Contribution of Surveys to Sociological Explanation. London,
Allen & Unwin.
Mcneill, P. (1989) Research Methods, London, Routledge.
Weston, A. (2000), A Rulebook for Arguments. Cambridge, Avatar Books.
5. FURTHER READING
Arrow, K. J. (1951), Social Choice and Individual Values. New York, Wiley & Sons.
Arrow, K. J. (1996), Preface. In K. J. Arrow et al. (eds.) The Rational Foundations of Economic
Behaviour. London: MacMillan.
Arrow, K.J. (1950), "A difficulty in the concept of social welfare". Journal of Political Economy, 58:
328-46.
Collins, R. (1994), Four Sociological Traditions. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Satz, D. and J. Ferejohn (1994), "Rational Choice and Social Theory". The Journal of Philosophy 41, 7187.
Sen, A.K. (1970), Collective Choice and Social Welfare. San Francisco, Holden-Day.
Vickrey, W. (1960), "Utility, Strategy, and Social Decisions Rules". The Quarterly Journal of Economics,
4: 507-535.
von Neumann, J. & Morgenstern, O. (1944), Theory of Games and Economic
Behavior. New York, Wiley.
Weale, A. (1992), "Social Choice", "Democracy", in Hargreaves, The Theory of Choice. Oxford,
Blackwell.