Philosophy of Social Science - A timeline of Paradigms

Here’s a timeline outlining key paradigm changes and the movement of various schools of thought in philosophy and social science:

 

 1. Positivism (Early 19th Century - Present)

   - Key Figure: Auguste Comte (1798–1857)

   - Key Concepts: Empiricism, scientific method, observable phenomena.

   - Overview: Positivism asserts that knowledge should be based on observable, empirical evidence and that the methods of the natural sciences can be applied to social sciences.

 

 2. Interpretivism (Late 19th Century - Present)

   - Key Figure: Wilhelm Dilthey (1833–1911)

   - Key Concepts: Understanding (Verstehen), subjective meaning, cultural context.

   - Overview: Interpretivism emphasizes understanding the meaning and context of social phenomena from the perspective of those involved, focusing on subjective experiences and meanings.

 

 3. Critical Theory (Mid 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Max Horkheimer (1895–1973), Theodor Adorno (1903–1969)

   - Key Concepts: Emancipation, critique of ideology, power structures.

   - Overview: Critical Theory aims to critique and change society by addressing power structures and ideologies that perpetuate inequality and oppression. It combines aspects of Marxism with social critique.

 

 4. Constructivism (Early 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Jean Piaget (1896–1980), Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934)

   - Key Concepts: Social construction of knowledge, cognitive development, cultural tools.

   - Overview: Constructivism asserts that knowledge is constructed through social processes and interactions, emphasizing the role of cultural and cognitive development in shaping understanding.

 

 5. Phenomenology (Early 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figure: Edmund Husserl (1859–1938)

   - Key Concepts: Intentionality, lived experience, consciousness.

   - Overview: Phenomenology focuses on the study of subjective experience and consciousness, aiming to describe phenomena as they are experienced by individuals.

 

 6. Postmodernism (Mid to Late 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Michel Foucault (1926–1984), Jacques Derrida (1930–2004)

   - Key Concepts: Deconstruction, power/knowledge, relativism.

   - Overview: Postmodernism challenges grand narratives and absolute truths, emphasizing the fluidity of meaning, the role of power in knowledge production, and the deconstruction of established categories.

 

 7. Pragmatism (Late 19th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), William James (1842–1910)

   - Key Concepts: Practical consequences, truth as a process, experiential validation.

   - Overview: Pragmatism focuses on the practical implications and usefulness of concepts and theories, suggesting that the truth of ideas is determined by their effectiveness in practical application.

 

 8. Postcolonial Theory (Late 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Edward Said (1935–2003), Homi K. Bhabha (1949–)

   - Key Concepts: Orientalism, hybridity, decolonization.

   - Overview: Postcolonial Theory examines the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies, highlighting issues of identity, power, and resistance in the postcolonial context.

 

 9. Feminist Theory (Late 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figures: Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986), Judith Butler (1956–)

   - Key Concepts: Gender roles, intersectionality, gender performativity.

   - Overview: Feminist Theory explores the social, political, and cultural dimensions of gender and aims to understand and challenge gender-based inequalities.

 

 10. Critical Realism (Late 20th Century - Present)

   - Key Figure: Roy Bhaskar (1944–2014)

   - Key Concepts: Ontological realism, epistemic relativity, stratified reality.

   - Overview: Critical Realism seeks to reconcile the empirical and the theoretical, arguing that reality exists independently of our perceptions but that our knowledge of it is always mediated and fallible.