The course will emphasize
an historical approach
to the philosophy of
the social sciences.
After a synoptic review
of philosophy’s
roles in its history,
the course will examine
philosophy’s
relations to the sciences
in general and the
social sciences in
particular. A key question
of the course will
be whether the social
sciences’ reliance
on statistical methods
is primarily due to
the freedom of human
nature or the sheer
complexity of the human
organism. Following
these introductory
explorations the course
will consider the historical
origins of the social
sciences in the works
of key philosophers
such as William +James,
Karl Marx, Adam Smith,
and Auguste Comte.
The course’s
primary assumption
is that philosophy
and science are continuous
rather than distinct
methods. The assumption
will be explored through
an examination of history
as an academic discipline.
Is history a foundation
for science, a social
science in its own
right, or an attempt
at creating a “super-science,” a
discipline that fuses
all the sciences in
an attempt to guide
us into the future?
Can an examination
of the distinctions
between history and
natural history show
that the conventional
distinction between
the natural and social
sciences is artificial?
The conclusion of the
course will examine
the historical uses
of the social sciences
in the service of racism,
and W.E.B. Du Bois’ life-long
efforts to combat those
uses.
