7. Two Quantitative Researches in the History of Philosophy. Some Down-to-Earth and Uphazard Methodological Reflections

Abstract

In this paper we are going to put forth some methodological reflections on two different investigations we conducted in the context of the DR2 research group. Such investigations were our first serious attempts at applying distant reading techniques and more in general quantitative methods to the history of philosophy. Our reflections are rather down-to-earth, and they have their roots in the context of the actual research activity, with its practical difficulties, stratagems and questions left unanswered. In this sense they do not concern lofty questions of principle, to be established a priori and with a normative attitude. A sketchy preliminary presentation of the two researches is in order as a basis for the methodological remarks.