SOC 3310 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Auguste Comte, Falsifiability, Jean Baudrillard
6 Oct 2016
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What is sociological theory? theory a system of generalized statements or propositions about phenomena. Scientific theories: explain and predict the phenomena in question, produce testable and thus falsifiable hypotheses. Sociological theories share certain characteristics with theories developed in other branches of sciences however there are significant differences between social and other scientific theories (i. e. natural sciences) First : sociological theories tend to be more evaluative & critical > often rooted in implicit moral assumptions that contrast with traditional notions of scientific objectivity (realizing a more just or equitable social order) Seeds of the scientific vs. humanistic debate were first planted during the enlightenment period a period of remarkable intellectual development that occurred in europe in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Development of civil society open spaces of debate relatively free from government control. Literate citizens began thinking about the economic, political and cultural conditions that shaped society.
