THE ENTANGLEMENT OF FACT AND VALUE: EXPLORING THE AFFINITIES BETWEEN WEBER’S VERSTEHEN AND AMERICAN PRAGMATISM
Open Access
Author:
Maull, Amanda
Graduate Program:
Sociology
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
September 30, 2010
Committee Members:
Alan M Sica, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Alan M Sica, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
Weber Epistemology Pragmatism
Abstract:
Canonized by Max Weber’s “Science as a Vocation”, the distinction between fact and value and the principle of Wertfreiheit (value freedom) have become foundational to sociological practice. In scientific discourse, facts refer to observed information that is both verifiable and reliable. A fact denotes “the real.” Values, variously defined, are conceptualized as part of an unobservable subjective realm. The epistemological assumptions supporting this position are rarely problematized. Considering the philosophical influences upon Weber’s sociology, I view the fact/value dichotomy as an artifact of the Kantian separation of subject and object. Pragmatist philosophy offers an alternative to the Western tradition of dualism. A comparison of pragmatism with Weber’s verstehende Soziologie reveals a surprising number of affinities and provides a framework for exploring the entanglement of fact and value. Using freedom as a paradigm case, I demonstrate the significance of recognizing the entanglement of fact and value for empirical research.
