RESEARCH MASTER IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
(2012-2013)
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 highlights 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. Basically 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 (2 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
3.3 Free speech
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 to 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 Phenomenological Approach to the Social Sciences. New
York, Wiley.
Bryman, A. (1998), Quantity and Quality in Social Research. London,
Routledge.
Goldman, A. (2011), “A guide to social epistemology”. In Social
Epistemology Essential Readings: 11-37. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2011.
Goldman, A. and Thomas Blanchard (2011), Social Epistemology. Oxford
Bibliographies Online.
Goldman, A. (1994), “Argumentation and Social Epistemology”. Journal of
Philosophy 91: 27-49.
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).
Hammersley, M. (1995), The Politics of Social Research, London, Sage.
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (1983), Ethnography: Principles in
Practice, London, Tavistock.
Hargreaves, S. et al. (1992), The Theory of Choice. Oxford, Blackwell.
Hollis, M. (1994), The Philosophy of Social Sciences. Cambridge,
Cambridge.
List, C. (2005), “Group knowledge and Group Rationality: A Judgment
Aggregation Perspective”. Episteme 2 (2005): 25-28.
List C. and P. Petit (2011), Group Agency: The Possibility, Design, and
Status of Corporate Agents. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Lumer, C. (2005), “The Epistemological Approach to Argumentation- A
Map”. Informal Logic 25: 189-212.
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.
Bradley, R. and Thompson, C. (2012), “A (Mainly Epistemic) Case for MultipleVote Majority Rule”. Episteme, 1, (2012): 63-79.
Gilbert, M. (1989), On Social Facts. London, Routledge, 1989.
List, C. (2008), Judgment aggregation: a short introduction. Personal files.
Satz, D. and J. Ferejohn (1994), "Rational Choice and Social Theory". The
Journal of Philosophy 41, 71-87.
Sen, A.K. (1970), Collective Choice and Social Welfare. San Francisco, HoldenDay.
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.
Wray, K. Brad (ed.) (2010), Special issue on “Collective Knowledge and
Science”. Episteme 7.