Ontology and Epistemology in Political Science
This chapter introduces the key concepts of ontology and epistemology and how
they shape the approach to theory and methods in political science. It outlines the
different positions on ontology and epistemology, including positivism, interpretivism,
and realism, and how these positions inform the study of political phenomena.
Key Points
- Ontology refers to the nature of reality and whether there is an independent,
"real" world that exists outside of our knowledge of it. Positivists and realists
are foundationalists in their ontology, while interpretivists are
anti-foundationalist.
- Epistemology refers to what we can know about the world and how we can
know it. Positivists believe in establishing causal relationships through direct
observation, while interpretivists focus on understanding the meanings that
actors attach to their actions. Realists accept that some important
relationships are not directly observable. (p. 18-19)
- Positivists aim to develop causal, explanatory models and use quantitative
methods to test hypotheses. Interpretivists focus on understanding the
meanings of actions and use qualitative methods. Realists use a mix of
quantitative and qualitative methods, recognizing that some relationships are
unobservable. (p. 20-21)
- Positivism has been criticized for ignoring the role of theory in shaping
observation and the differences between social and natural phenomena.
Interpretivism has been criticized for lacking a basis to judge the validity of
knowledge claims. Realism attempts to acknowledge the critiques of both
positions. (p. 22-31)
- The different ontological and epistemological positions shape how
researchers approach the study of political phenomena, as illustrated in the
cases of globalization and multilevel governance. Positivists focus on
measuring and establishing causal relationships, while interpretivists
emphasize the social construction of these phenomena. Realists recognize
both the "real" processes and the discursive construction of them. (p. 32-40)
This chapter introduces the key concepts of ontology and epistemology and how
they shape the approach to theory and methods in political science. It outlines the
different positions on ontology and epistemology, including positivism, interpretivism,
and realism, and how these positions inform the study of political phenomena.
Key Points
- Ontology refers to the nature of reality and whether there is an independent,
"real" world that exists outside of our knowledge of it. Positivists and realists
are foundationalists in their ontology, while interpretivists are
anti-foundationalist.
- Epistemology refers to what we can know about the world and how we can
know it. Positivists believe in establishing causal relationships through direct
observation, while interpretivists focus on understanding the meanings that
actors attach to their actions. Realists accept that some important
relationships are not directly observable. (p. 18-19)
- Positivists aim to develop causal, explanatory models and use quantitative
methods to test hypotheses. Interpretivists focus on understanding the
meanings of actions and use qualitative methods. Realists use a mix of
quantitative and qualitative methods, recognizing that some relationships are
unobservable. (p. 20-21)
- Positivism has been criticized for ignoring the role of theory in shaping
observation and the differences between social and natural phenomena.
Interpretivism has been criticized for lacking a basis to judge the validity of
knowledge claims. Realism attempts to acknowledge the critiques of both
positions. (p. 22-31)
- The different ontological and epistemological positions shape how
researchers approach the study of political phenomena, as illustrated in the
cases of globalization and multilevel governance. Positivists focus on
measuring and establishing causal relationships, while interpretivists
emphasize the social construction of these phenomena. Realists recognize
both the "real" processes and the discursive construction of them. (p. 32-40)
