TOPIC 1: What is philosophy of science
I. Definition of ontology and epistemology
II. Types of explanations
III.Logical argument
IV.Syllogism and types of arguments
• Ontology --> the study of being & existence
◦ Ontological questions --> study of reality
◦ Social ontology --> what is reality? (⚡ individual ontology)
◦ Seeks to determine what entities can be said to exist
◦ Bitcoin vs euro → do we accept bitcoin as a real currency
▪ we do collectively accept this currency as real → it would
not work if only 1 or 2 people accepted it
◦ Is social reality as real as natural reality
◦ Social reality exists only insofar as we accept it to exist in everyday
reality
▪ Double hermeneutic = whether we accept social reality is
dependent on our understanding of it
• Epistemology --> study of KL
◦ what KL is and how it is obtained? Is functional explanation valid?
◦ Scientific KL: generalizability, controllability, parsimony, objectivity,
recognized method
◦ The epistemological view that KL should be based on empirical evidence
▪ Positive: the world as it is (theory --> world)
▪ Firms with more diverse boards perform better
▪ Normative: the world as it ought to be (world --> theory)
▪ The government should provide basic care to all citizens,
firms should have more diversity
• All things are rooted in how we see the world (ontology) from which we use
epistemology to ask how we should investigate the world → followed by
methodology in determining the best data collection methods
• Causality: the events preceding a phenomenon
I. Definition of ontology and epistemology
II. Types of explanations
III.Logical argument
IV.Syllogism and types of arguments
• Ontology --> the study of being & existence
◦ Ontological questions --> study of reality
◦ Social ontology --> what is reality? (⚡ individual ontology)
◦ Seeks to determine what entities can be said to exist
◦ Bitcoin vs euro → do we accept bitcoin as a real currency
▪ we do collectively accept this currency as real → it would
not work if only 1 or 2 people accepted it
◦ Is social reality as real as natural reality
◦ Social reality exists only insofar as we accept it to exist in everyday
reality
▪ Double hermeneutic = whether we accept social reality is
dependent on our understanding of it
• Epistemology --> study of KL
◦ what KL is and how it is obtained? Is functional explanation valid?
◦ Scientific KL: generalizability, controllability, parsimony, objectivity,
recognized method
◦ The epistemological view that KL should be based on empirical evidence
▪ Positive: the world as it is (theory --> world)
▪ Firms with more diverse boards perform better
▪ Normative: the world as it ought to be (world --> theory)
▪ The government should provide basic care to all citizens,
firms should have more diversity
• All things are rooted in how we see the world (ontology) from which we use
epistemology to ask how we should investigate the world → followed by
methodology in determining the best data collection methods
• Causality: the events preceding a phenomenon
