,128 test questions and answers about Exploring Humans by Hans Dooremalen. These cover
various topics, themes, and concepts found in the book.
1. What is the central aim of Exploring Humans?
The central aim of Exploring Humans is to provide an accessible overview of the main
philosophical and methodological issues in the study of humanity, covering topics in
philosophy of science, sociology, and psychology.
2. How does the book address the concept of 'objectivity' in social sciences?
The book discusses objectivity as a challenging concept, explaining how biases and
perspectives can affect research and exploring ways to minimize these through scientific
methods.
3. What is 'methodological individualism'?
Methodological individualism is the idea that social phenomena can be understood by
examining the actions and motivations of individuals, rather than treating social groups as
entities with their own behaviors.
4. What role does philosophy play in social sciences, according to the authors?
Philosophy helps to frame the questions and methods used in social sciences, guiding
researchers in thinking critically about concepts like causation, explanation, and ethical
implications of their studies.
5. Can you define 'paradigm shift' as discussed in the book?
A paradigm shift, a concept introduced by Thomas Kuhn and discussed in the book, is a
fundamental change in the framework or set of assumptions governing a field of study, often
brought about by new discoveries or insights.
6. What is 'falsifiability,' and why is it significant in scientific research?
Falsifiability, a principle proposed by Karl Popper, is the idea that for a theory to be
scientific, it must be testable and able to be proven wrong. This is significant because it
allows science to refine and discard theories that do not hold up under empirical scrutiny.
, 7. How does the book explain the difference between 'nomothetic' and 'idiographic'
approaches?
The nomothetic approach seeks to identify general laws or patterns, while the idiographic
approach focuses on unique, individual cases. The book explains how both approaches are
valuable in understanding human behavior.
8. What is the 'verification principle,' and how is it critiqued?
The verification principle, associated with logical positivism, holds that only statements
that can be empirically verified are meaningful. The book critiques this principle, showing
that many scientific theories contain unobservable concepts that are still meaningful.
9. What does Exploring Humans say about the relationship between theory and observation?
The book argues that observation in science is not purely objective but is influenced by
theory, as our pre-existing knowledge shapes what we observe and how we interpret it.
10. How does the book describe the nature of scientific laws?
Scientific laws are seen as generalizations that describe regularities in nature. However, the
book points out that in social sciences, laws are often less rigid and more probabilistic.
11. What is 'reductionism,' and what are its implications in social sciences?
Reductionism is the idea that complex phenomena can be explained by reducing them to
their simplest components. In social sciences, this is controversial as it may overlook the
complexity and context of human behavior.
12. Explain 'hermeneutics' as discussed in Exploring Humans.
Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation, especially of texts and symbolic behavior. In
the book, it is applied to understanding human actions and social phenomena by considering
cultural and historical context.
13. What is 'scientific realism'?
Scientific realism is the belief that scientific theories describe reality, including
unobservable entities. The book contrasts this with instrumentalism, which views theories as
mere tools for prediction.
various topics, themes, and concepts found in the book.
1. What is the central aim of Exploring Humans?
The central aim of Exploring Humans is to provide an accessible overview of the main
philosophical and methodological issues in the study of humanity, covering topics in
philosophy of science, sociology, and psychology.
2. How does the book address the concept of 'objectivity' in social sciences?
The book discusses objectivity as a challenging concept, explaining how biases and
perspectives can affect research and exploring ways to minimize these through scientific
methods.
3. What is 'methodological individualism'?
Methodological individualism is the idea that social phenomena can be understood by
examining the actions and motivations of individuals, rather than treating social groups as
entities with their own behaviors.
4. What role does philosophy play in social sciences, according to the authors?
Philosophy helps to frame the questions and methods used in social sciences, guiding
researchers in thinking critically about concepts like causation, explanation, and ethical
implications of their studies.
5. Can you define 'paradigm shift' as discussed in the book?
A paradigm shift, a concept introduced by Thomas Kuhn and discussed in the book, is a
fundamental change in the framework or set of assumptions governing a field of study, often
brought about by new discoveries or insights.
6. What is 'falsifiability,' and why is it significant in scientific research?
Falsifiability, a principle proposed by Karl Popper, is the idea that for a theory to be
scientific, it must be testable and able to be proven wrong. This is significant because it
allows science to refine and discard theories that do not hold up under empirical scrutiny.
, 7. How does the book explain the difference between 'nomothetic' and 'idiographic'
approaches?
The nomothetic approach seeks to identify general laws or patterns, while the idiographic
approach focuses on unique, individual cases. The book explains how both approaches are
valuable in understanding human behavior.
8. What is the 'verification principle,' and how is it critiqued?
The verification principle, associated with logical positivism, holds that only statements
that can be empirically verified are meaningful. The book critiques this principle, showing
that many scientific theories contain unobservable concepts that are still meaningful.
9. What does Exploring Humans say about the relationship between theory and observation?
The book argues that observation in science is not purely objective but is influenced by
theory, as our pre-existing knowledge shapes what we observe and how we interpret it.
10. How does the book describe the nature of scientific laws?
Scientific laws are seen as generalizations that describe regularities in nature. However, the
book points out that in social sciences, laws are often less rigid and more probabilistic.
11. What is 'reductionism,' and what are its implications in social sciences?
Reductionism is the idea that complex phenomena can be explained by reducing them to
their simplest components. In social sciences, this is controversial as it may overlook the
complexity and context of human behavior.
12. Explain 'hermeneutics' as discussed in Exploring Humans.
Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation, especially of texts and symbolic behavior. In
the book, it is applied to understanding human actions and social phenomena by considering
cultural and historical context.
13. What is 'scientific realism'?
Scientific realism is the belief that scientific theories describe reality, including
unobservable entities. The book contrasts this with instrumentalism, which views theories as
mere tools for prediction.
