A Tentative Problematic for a Philosophy of the Social Sciences

A TENTATIVE PROBLEMATIC FOR A PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES I. INTRODUCTION SLIGHT acquaintance with the social sciences and with some of the philosophic discussions concerning problems they raise is sufficient to convince any philosopher that the philosophy of the social sciences is a vast and largely uncharted domain for investigation. However, the, inherent importance of the philosophic issues raised by the social sciences and the practical urgency of their implications compel the attention of anyone concerned with ethics as a discipline relevant to social policy. Moreover, the manifold difficulty and relative scarcity of studies in the philosophy of the social sciences render this field uniquely challenging. How should one begin? It might seem that the necessary first step is to cultivate a broad and deep acquaintance with the elements of all the social sciences and to seek a certain level of competence in one or more of them. Certainly some such undertaking will be essential, since it obviously is impossible to develop an adequate philosophy of the social sciences without a firsthand knowledge of them in themselves. But such study will be endless and pointless if it is not guided by some tentative heuristic structure. Which works should be studied? Which should be passed over as too specialized and too remote from central philosophic issues? In the philosophy of the natural sciences-in the foundations of physics, for example-this problem is not so great, since the material is well organized and the issues are sharp. But in the social sciences there can be considerable doubt even concerning which disciplines or which topics within ·any discipline are fundamental . Should one begin, as a good scholar, by surveying the work which has been done in the philosophy of the soci~l sciences? 537 538 GERMAIN G. GRISEZ Certainly, this survey will be necessary, since any attempt to develop a comprehensive philosophy of the social sciences can profit greatly from work already accomplished; moreover, any new undertaking must reckon with previous relevant work, either to integrate its results or to show their inadequacy. Yet such a survey is rendered difficult, not only by the extent of the material, but also and especially by the lack of a clear demarcation of the philosophy of the social sciences. Diversities of philosophic view already have their effect within the social sciences themselves. It would be all too easy to permit available indices and bibliographies to narrow or even to predetermine the outcome of an investigation in the philosophy of the social sciences, since diverse philosophic orientations will locate the investigation in diverse places; either in treatises near the beginning of substantive works in the social sciences, or in special treatises such as those on methodological issues, or at some point within one or more of the established philosophic disciplines, or in a special philosophic inquiry. If a survey of available materials is not to be arbitrarily narrowed, all possible sources should be explored in so far as they are relevant. " In so far as they are relevant"-there is the difficulty. An investigation must begin somewhere and it must use some criterion of relevance at the outset. In any philosophic investigation we begin from where we are. We need not peer out out through metaphysical peepholes and assume absolute cashvalue for the promissory notes of our merely contingent opinions. Quite the contrary. We must become aware of the peepholes we use in order to see around them and we must discount our opinions as we begin questioning what we had . assumed without question. The first step toward a comprehensive philosophy of the social sciences is to draw up. a tentative list of the problems to be investigated together with the reasons one already can construct on both sides of each ISSUe. This tentative problematic is a useful first step, since it must be followed by serious study of the social sciences themselves A TENTATIVE PROBLEMATIC 589 and an adequate survey of philosophic work on issues they raise. No conclusions can be reached without carrying out both of these studies. The list of problems should be tentative, since it will be merely heuristic; as the inquiry proceeds it will be modified repeatedly and even completely...