THE PROBLEM OF PRIMACY IN HISTORICAL EXPLANATION
THE PROBLEM OF PRIMACY IN HISTORICAL EXPLANATION

Summary/Abstract: The significance of methodology goes beyond just being a reflection of how academics conduct their research. In a sense, methodology also dictates the legitimacy and soundness of the research outcomes. With this consideration, this paper examines the explanatory approaches that philosophers employ in their research and the arguments for the validity of such approaches. The two prominent ones in philosophy and other social sciences are methodological individualism vis-à-vis methodological holism. While the proponents of the former place a premium on individuals as an appropriate explanationary guide to research and emphasize that social regularity or phenomenon is grounded in individual motivations and behaviors, the latter places emphasis on society and the many social groupings that exist within it as the most important components of the historical process. Both approaches have made credible contributions to our knowledge. However, regardless of the fact that each approach is potent in furnishing us with particular truth at the micro and macro levels of history, none is capable of the ‘whole truth. Therefore, it is suggested to carefully consider the intermediate school as a balance between methodological individualism and methodological holism. Therefore, by integrating the intermediate school as a compromise between methodological individualism and methodological holism, methodological approaches in the social sciences can be enhanced for better outcomes.

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