Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences
Inductive thinking is a universal human habit; we generalise from our experiences the best we can. The induction problem is to identify which observed regularities provide reasonable justification for inductive conclusions. In the natural sciences, we can often use strict laws in making successful i...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Philosophies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/4/105 |
| _version_ | 1797225531363557376 |
|---|---|
| author | Lars-Göran Johansson |
| author_facet | Lars-Göran Johansson |
| author_sort | Lars-Göran Johansson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Inductive thinking is a universal human habit; we generalise from our experiences the best we can. The induction problem is to identify which observed regularities provide reasonable justification for inductive conclusions. In the natural sciences, we can often use strict laws in making successful inferences about unobserved states of affairs. In the social sciences, by contrast, we have no strict laws, only regularities which most often are conditioned on ceteris paribus clauses. This makes it much more difficult to make reliable inferences in the social sciences. In particular, we want knowledge about general causal relations in order to be able to determine what to do in order to achieve a certain state of affairs. Knowledge about causal relations that are also valid in the future requires experiments or so called ‘natural experiments’. Only knowledge derived from such experiences enable us to draw reasonably reliable inferences about how to act in order to achieve our goals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:18:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14977c97b69241dc81e182a66d940637 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:10:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj.art-14977c97b69241dc81e182a66d9406372024-04-03T09:23:13ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872021-12-016410510.3390/philosophies6040105Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social SciencesLars-Göran Johansson0Department of Philosophy, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 256, 751 05 Uppsala, SwedenInductive thinking is a universal human habit; we generalise from our experiences the best we can. The induction problem is to identify which observed regularities provide reasonable justification for inductive conclusions. In the natural sciences, we can often use strict laws in making successful inferences about unobserved states of affairs. In the social sciences, by contrast, we have no strict laws, only regularities which most often are conditioned on ceteris paribus clauses. This makes it much more difficult to make reliable inferences in the social sciences. In particular, we want knowledge about general causal relations in order to be able to determine what to do in order to achieve a certain state of affairs. Knowledge about causal relations that are also valid in the future requires experiments or so called ‘natural experiments’. Only knowledge derived from such experiences enable us to draw reasonably reliable inferences about how to act in order to achieve our goals.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/4/105induction problemnatural versus social sciencecomplexitycausationexperimentation in social sciencelaws |
| spellingShingle | Lars-Göran Johansson Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences Philosophies induction problem natural versus social science complexity causation experimentation in social science laws |
| title | Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences |
| title_full | Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences |
| title_fullStr | Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences |
| title_short | Induction, Experimentation and Causation in the Social Sciences |
| title_sort | induction experimentation and causation in the social sciences |
| topic | induction problem natural versus social science complexity causation experimentation in social science laws |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/6/4/105 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT larsgoranjohansson inductionexperimentationandcausationinthesocialsciences |