blob: 0ad2b20e4431a8d882f74ea4fef3e73c6434ab3f (
plain)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
|
Is Poli. Sci. a science?
- John Lewis Gaddis:
- Imagined prediction vs. replicating/reproducing results is
intuitive difference
- Five standards:
- Parsimony: smallest laws that predict human behavior
- Poli. Sci. has some laws, but thety aren't strictj
- Variables
- Nominal: positive or negative (did or didn't happen)
- Ordinal, ordered preferences
- Nonlinear, subjective
- Continuous (very wide variation, more scientific)
- political science has fewer, making it less replicate.
- Accounting for change
- Cold War wasn't accurately predicted
- Predictions by poli. sci. are typically bad
- Commensurability
- Common results and definitions
- Political Science doesn't have singular, consistent
definitions (see: democracy, war)
- Objectivtiy
- Poli. Sci. is often subjective and requires bias for
proper analysis
- But so are hard sciences like medicine.
- Concludes that poli. sci is a science because it
- tries to obtain these goals (it is very young so less adv)
- predicts or prepares
|
