Value‐Free Sociology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7079063 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Hammersley (0000-0001-6842-6276, The Open University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Pages | 1-4 |
| Publication date | 2018-12-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | OTHER |
| Venue | The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/9781405165518.wbeos1213 |
| OpenAlex | W2908279681 |
| ISBN | 9781405165518 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
It has been argued, most notably by Max Weber, that the principle of value freedom must guide social science. This requires that the conclusions of research be restricted to factual ones, excluding practical evaluations and policy recommendations that go beyond the identification of effective means. Equally important it implies a responsibility on the part of social scientists to minimize any distortion of research resulting from their own or others' value commitments. Picking up on an influential philosophical theme, Weber insisted that value conclusions cannot be derived solely from factual assumptions, and concluded on this basis that there can be no scientific authority for such conclusions. The principle of value freedom (sometimes referred to as “value neutrality” or “ethical neutrality”) was widely appealed to by social scientists around the middle of the twentieth century, but since that time it has been championed less frequently, and indeed has been subjected to widespread criticism. Much of this criticism is misdirected, and, even when it is not, it relies upon alternative philosophical and political positions that are themselves open to question
Criticism · Economics · Epistemology · Identification (biology · Neutrality · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Theme (computing · Value (mathematics · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Law · Mathematics · Philosophy · Social and Cultural Dynamics · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
Max Weber
The Limits of Social Science
Max Weber in Politics and Social Thought
Taking Sides in Social Research
Science, Values and Politics in Max Weber's Methodology
On the almost inconceivable misunderstandings concerning the subject of value-free social science
Provoking misunderstanding
American Sociological Association Presidential address
Sociology as a Vocation
On the Role of Values in Social Research
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |