Sociologies (Nov 2012)
La sociologie est-elle une science ?
Abstract
Sociology is not a science but a discipline to be compared in this respect with history. Of course, this does not prevent it from being an intellectual endeavour worth to be pursued. But the conditions allowing to characterise it as a science strictly speaking are not fulfilled. The sociological community is very heterogeneous and torn between contradictory ambitions. The image of sociology, being dominated by its research techniques rather than its line of reasoning, remains fuzzy for the layman who finds it difficult to grasp its subject matter. The distinction between value judgement and value relationship seems to provide a solution to the problem of objectivity. However, it offers only a shaky defense against the irruption of values irreducible to the value of truth in the field of sociology. Indeed, values do not only contribute to the selection of the object to be studied but also to its very definition.
