File spoon-archives/bhaskar.archive/bhaskar_2002/bhaskar.0202, message 44


From: "Andrew Brown" <Andrew-AT-lubs.leeds.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 13:56:01 -0000
Subject: Re: BHA: re: cr and social science


Hi Meryvn,

You wrote:

> . I can't agree with Andy that this undermines the original analysis of
> experimentation in artificially closed systems. The purpose of that
> analysis was to critique the postivist conception of a causal law etc, and
> to argue for a philosophical depth ontology. Mission accomplished. There's
> no question imo of illicitly 'generalising from the hard sciences' (Andy)
> for if the premises are sound the arguments follow with respect to the
> general nature of a causal law and depth ontology as such (unless you want
> to say that we need different philophical conceptions of the nature of a
> causal law, natural necessity etc in the hard sciences and the life
> sciences!).

What it 'undermines' is the very purpose of PON; the argument for 
*critical* naturalism. Bhaskar's argument turns upon the premise 
that natural sciences, unlike social sciences, are unable to 
undertake scientific experiment (from this follows various other 
distinctions between natural and social sciences). Once this 
premise is contested, then one is left wondering just what is 
*critical* about Bhaskar's naturalism. In other words, just what 
does distinguish natural and social science, for Bhaskar. The 
problem this question poses is particularly acute for those trying to 
gain methodolgical insight from Bhaskar regarding social science. 
Thus it is has come up in various discussions with Doug, Marshall 
and others on this list re quantitative methodology.

You also wrote:

> When an important thinker seems to be drawing an odd conclusion, I think a
> wise rule is to consider seriously whether the fault is not in oneself.

I'm not sure the above pearl of wisdom takes us very far!! :)

Thanks,

Andy


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