Central Department of Public Administration CDPA Tribhuvan University
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Knowledge - Philosophy - Social Sciences
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Sources of Knowledge Do we have Innate Ideas (mind is born with ideas) Or Vacuum (we are not born with any ideas)
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Source of Knowledge • Sense Perception (Empiricism/Perception) – Observing expert musician • • • Emotion/Intuition Faith Imagination Language/Authority Logics/Reason/ Rationalist Scientific knowledge
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Scientific Knowledge • Scientific knowledge – Knowledge accumulated by systematic study and organized by general principles • Identification of fact or phenomena acquired through scientific method that include – testing – acceptance by others( peer review) – measurement of actual or potential rate of error
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Philosophy of Science • The philosophy of science is the branch of philosophy that • Critically examines the – Foundations – Methods – Products and – Implications of the science.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Philosophy of Social Science Concerns with foundational questions about social science knowledge
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Many questions about scientific knowledge • How do scientists justify their knowledge claims? • How do they proof it? • Are there methods for making scientific discoveries? • How does scientific knowledge advance and grow?
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Knowledge Claims • Nature of knowledge • Scope of knowledge • Correctness and validity of knowledge The answer of such questions belong to philosophy.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Why Philosophy of social science? Philosophy is unavoidable for social scientists because the choices they make in answering questions in their disciplines force them to take sides on philosophical matters.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal The Greek word, philosophia, means The love of Wisdom Philia: The love Sophia: wisdom
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal The Sanskrit, Chinese, & Japanese equivalents of “philosophia” are: • Darshana (Sanskrit) – Means “vision” – (more precisely, vision of ultimate reality) • Je Shwe (Chinese, pronounced “juh shway”) – Means “wise study” • Tetsugaku (Japanese) – Means “wise learning”
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal The three most basic philosophical questions are • What’s what? • What’s good? • What do we know (or what’s true)? •
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal The Branches of Philosophy • Metaphysics – What’s what? Reality • Axiology – What’s good? Value • Epistemology – What do we know? – Or what’s true? Knowledge Truth
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Branches of Philosophy • Metaphysics – philosophical investigation of the nature of reality, being, or existence. • Axiology – philosophical investigation of the nature of value(s) & of the foundations of value judgments. • Epistemology – philosophical investigation of the nature of knowledge & truth & of the differences between knowledge & opinion & between truth & falsity.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Metaphysics • The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, cause, . . . • Abstract theory or talk with no basis in reality. • The purpose of metaphysics, which is to – Reach beyond nature (physis) as we perceive it – Discover the "true nature" of things, their ultimate essence and the reason for being.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Metaphysics (Theory of Being) • Ontology – being (ontos) in general • Philosophical Cosmology – the cosmos • Philosophical Theology – God & the gods (Theos & theoi) • Philosophical Anthropology – human nature and human existence (anthropos)
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal In metaphysics, • There are questions about being or reality in general, i. e. , ontological questions. – Why is there something rather than nothing? – Is reality fundamentally one or many? – Is there anything that does not change? – Is reality fundamentally material or spiritual? – Which is more basic, Being or Non-Being?
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Axiology (Theory of Value) • Aesthetics (philosophy of art) • Ethics (moral philosophy) • Social & Political Philosophy 18
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal There are questions about Goodness: • Morality/ Goodness • General normative ethics – What are the basic standards of morality? • Applied normative ethics – Is the death penalty morally justifiable?
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge) ?
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Epistemology The study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge also referred to as theory of knowledge.
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Questions in Epistemology: What is the nature of knowledge? What are the sources of knowledge? What is the extent (scope & limits) of knowledge? What are the differences between knowledge & opinion? • What is the nature of truth? • What are the differences between truth & falsity? • Can the truth be known at all? • •
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Branches of Philosophy Epistemology Science gets closer and closer to the truth? Ontology Scientific theories represent reality? Yes No Yes Theory Progresses by capturing real phenomena REALISM Theory exploits core assumptions KHUN-ISM No Theories emerge from data FOUNDATIONALIS M Theories compete to solve research problems INSTRUMENTALIS M Source: Kilduff et. Al. (2011)
Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Positions in the Epistemological philosophy of Science focus Criterion of the Philosophy Representative Philosophers Rationalism Logical reduction Descartes Comparison between Philosophies Classical Empiricism Logical Positivism Logical justification Inductive generalization of knowledge claims Empirical verification Instrumentalism Theories as Dogmatic falsification frameworks for prediction and testing Methodological Falsification Bayesianism Lakatos’ MSRP Hermeneutics J. S. Mill, J. N. Keynes Derived from rational foundation Induced from empirical data Camap, Russel, Wittgenstein Derived from empirical foundation Predictive success, Simplicity, Pierce, Friedman or other aesthetic value Shown by predictive accuracy, simplicity, or other value “Theory-Free” observations to Popper test theories Continued testing to eliminate faulty models Survival of testing and criticism Shown by testing and criticism Lakatos’ version of Popper Consistent treatment Increase subjective probability Howson Urbbach of probabilistic induction Kuhnianism Progressive historical growth of knowledge Interpretation and understanding through dialog and practice Validation Approaches Growth of knowledge through Khun, Polyani, Bohm, paradigm shifts Weimer Growth of knowledge through Popper, Lakatos, research programs Bartley, Agassi Knowledge growth by application with participation Bemstein, Gadamer Empirical success increasing belief Accordance with expert opinion, professional acceptance Increase empirical and theoretical content without adhoc adjustment Participation by all interested in the outcome
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