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Социобиологията и социалните дисциплини в хуманитаристиката
Sociobiology and the Social Science Disciplines

Author(s): Dimitar G. Ivanov
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Институт по философия и социология при БАН
Keywords: sociobiology; social disciplines; the humanities; empirical content; Popper.

Summary/Abstract: The article briefly outlines the rise of sociobiology and the intense debates surrounding it, in order to argue that, in contrast to the social science approaches, sociobiology can serve as a rational basis of political theory. In order to defend this claim I adduce Sir Karl Popper’s definition of „empirical content“ and argue that the statements of the traditional social science disciplines do not have empirical content, a circumstance that renders the political theories based on them unjustified. Unfortunately, we find that Popper’s own political theory is vulnerable to such critique. Conversely, it is suggested that the sociobiological approach, as formulated by E. O. Wilson, can supply us with statements that both have empirical content and could serve to justify a certain political theory and the actions performed in accordance with that theory.

  • Issue Year: XXIII/2014
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 28-32
  • Page Count: 5
  • Language: Bulgarian