Explanation and Criticism: On the Critical Scientific Realism
Resource
政治科學論叢, 9, 121-143
Journal
政治科學論叢
Journal Issue
9
Pages
121-143
Date Issued
1998-06
Date
1998-06
Author(s)
Chuang, C.N.
Wei, C.P.
Abstract
This article aims at introducing the 'critical realism' developed mainly by the English philosopher Roy Bhaskar. Discussion is focused on one of his important arguments that the social scientific explanation not only provides the true causal explanation of social phenomena by pointing out the hidden generative mechanism but also has the capacities of criticizing the dominant social structure and after all emancipating human beings from this unwanted and unneeded situation. Attempt has been made to highlight the innate limits of his theory by ascertaining the presumptions of the critical social sciences in general along with some counterpoints presented by other theories. It is hoped that the possibility of which the protagonist theory as the ideal meta-science discourse propounded by critical theorists can be assessed and how far the discrepancy between them is to be made up for.
Type
journal article