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Same-tracking real kinds in the social sciences.

Theodore Bach1

  • 1Firelands College, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH United States.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Identifying real kinds in the social sciences is challenging due to their dynamic and intersecting nature. This study proposes using open-ended concepts and causal interaction to improve reference to these social scientific real kinds.

Keywords:
Ameliorative strategyBoydConceptual engineeringMillikanNatural kindsReferenceSocial ontology

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Area of Science:

  • Social Sciences
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • Identifying and tracking real kinds in the social sciences presents significant epistemic challenges.
  • These kinds are often dynamic, intersecting, and may not consistently exhibit their properties, leading to imprecise conceptual practices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address the difficulties in identifying and tracking real kinds in the social sciences.
  • To propose strategies for improving reference to these kinds within non-ideal epistemic conditions.
  • To critically evaluate alternative classificatory schemes that do not defer to real-kind structures.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of reference and classification in the social sciences.
  • Examination of the dynamic and intersecting nature of social scientific kinds.
  • Appeal to the naturalistic frameworks of Richard Boyd and Ruth Millikan.

Main Results:

  • Real kinds in the social sciences are difficult to identify due to their mutable and overlapping characteristics.
  • Imprecise references are common in social science conceptual practices.
  • Open-ended concepts, understanding research program convergence, and causal interaction are crucial for accurate reference.

Conclusions:

  • Improving the identification and tracking of social scientific real kinds requires specific epistemic strategies.
  • Avoidance of the view that idealized classificatory schemes can succeed independently of real-kind structures is essential.
  • The frameworks of Boyd and Millikan offer a foundation for addressing these challenges.