Paper Topic:

History and Philosophy of Psychology essay

History and Philosophy of Psychology

Abstract

This essay answers the following two part question : Critically examine the claim that logical positivism and social constructionism are similar in some important respects . If they are similar , what are the consequences of this for psychology 's future as a scientific discipline Conclusions are drawn based on research done

History and Philosophy of Psychology

Critically examine the claim that logical positivism and social constructionism are similar in some important respects

Logical positivism definition

Logical positivism holds that philosophy should aspire to the same

sort of HYPERLINK "http /encyclopedia .laborlawtalk .com /Rigor " rigor as science and that it should provide strict criteria for judging sentences true , false and meaningless (Dictionary .Labourtalk .com 2005

Logical positivism made use of symbolic logic , endorsed the verifiability principle as a criterion of meaning and great importance to the analysis of language of meaning . Philosophers in this era (1920 - 1936 ) included Schlick , Reichenbach and Carnap . Logical positivism was born from positivism , and preceded logical empiricism post positivism and post modernism

Social constructionism definition

Social constructionism is defined as the view that the phenomena of the social and cultural world and their meanings are created in human social interaction . Taken further , social constructionism can be applied to social research itself . The approach often , though not exclusively , draws on idealist philosophical orientations (Seale , C 2004 ) The idealist seeks a reassuring , consoling , kindred universe (Stove , 1991

Similarities

The received view is that logical positivism and social constructionism are anti-thetical . However , because they are equivalent in some important regards , this received view is not an accurate one - the following three similarities can be drawn between the two disciplines Firstly , logical positivism exponents Schlick and Carnap disconnect what is known and experienced from scientific knowledge . The essence of extra-mental reality is in their eyes not possible . Similarly , social constructionism draws a distinction between what is known and what is experienced

Secondly , logical positivism lengthens the doctrine of conventionalism from the commonly accepted principles of geometry to logic , mathematics and some theoretical propositions . Social constructionism , albeit unwittingly , does the same to all propositions of science

Thirdly , Wittgenstein 's `meaning as use ' thesis is drawn upon in both disciplines - in logical positivism , it is used with Schlick 's later defense of the verifiability principle and operationism , and in social constructionism it is invoked to substantiate claims that all meanings of scientific terms are derived from the context of its usage

If they are similar , what are the consequences of this for psychology 's future as a scientific discipline

The Concise Oxford Dictionary (Fowler and Fowler , 1976 ) gives us the following definition of the term psychology : It is the science of the nature , functions and phenomena of the human soul or mind and the treatise on , or the system of this . Because it is based on a science psychology is therefore a scientific discipline . By nature , a scientific discipline develops in stages and is influenced by the beliefs and thoughts of it 's exponents at any given...

3 pages

32.0 KB

Free sing-up