Postgraduate Module Descriptor


SOCM002A: Philosophy of the Social Sciences 1

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Introduction: what is philosophy of social science?
Social and institutional ontology: the nature and conditions
of the social and cultural world
Holism and individualism: the nature of collective action and
collective responsibility
Structure and agency: social determinism and individual agency
Realism and social constructionism: the debate over reality
and social construction (race, class, gender, sexuality,
scientific knowledge)
The Idea of a social science: the Wittgensteinian critique and
its critics
Social science, ethics and the fact-value distinction

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activites2211 x 2 hour seminars
Guided independent study128Independent study

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).