北京师范大学 教育研究方法讲座系列 Lecture 4 approach to Comparative-Historical Method(l Functionalism in Comparative Perspective
北京师范大学 教育研究方法讲座系列 Lecture 4 Approach to Comparative-Historical Method (1): Functionalism in Comparative Perspective
Explaining big structure and largeprocess by Comparative-Historical Method z Georg H von wrights distinction between two traditions of scientific inquiry "It is.. misleading to say that understanding versus explanation marks the diference between two types of scientific intelligibility But one could say that the intentional or nonintentional character of their objects marks the difference between two types of understanding and of explanation. (von Wright, 1971, P 135) y Two types of explanatory objects x Structures and motions are particles in naturalscience x Institutional structures, historical processes, and socialinteractions and actions in the social sciences
Explaining Big Structure and LargeProcess by Comparative-Historical Method z Georg H. von Wright’s distinction between two traditions of scientific inquiry “It is… misleading to say that understanding versus explanation marks the difference between two types of scientific intelligibility. But one could say that the intentional or nonintentional character of their objects marks the difference between two types of understanding and of explanation.” (von Wright, 1971, p.135) y Two types of explanatory objects x Structures and motions are particles in natural science x Institutional structures, historical processes, and social interactions and actions in the social sciences
Explaining big structure and largeprocess by Comparative-Historical Method z. two traditions of scientific inguiry. y Distinction between causal(nonintentional) and teleological (intentional) explanations x Causal explanation: It refers to the mode ofexplanation, which attempt to seek the sufficient andornecessary conditions (i.e. explanans which antecede the phenomenonto be explained (i.e. explanandum Causal explanations normally point to the past. This happened, because that had occurred' is the typicalformin language.(von Wright, 1971, P. 83)It seeks to verify the antecedental conditions for an observed naturalphenomenon This mode ofexplanation can further be diferentiated into Deductive-nomological explanation Inductive-probabillistic explanation
Explaining Big Structure and LargeProcess by Comparative-Historical Method z …two traditions of scientific inquiry… y Distinction between causal (nonintentional) and teleological (intentional) explanations x Causal explanation: It refers to the mode of explanation, which attempt to seek the sufficient and/or necessary conditions (i.e. explanans) which antecede the phenomenon to be explained (i.e. explanandum). Causal explanations normally point to the past. ‘This happened, because that had occurred’ is the typical form in language.” (von Wright, 1971, p. 83) It seeks to verify the antecedental conditions for an observed natural phenomenon. This mode of explanation can further be differentiated into • Deductive-nomological explanation • Inductive-probabilistic explanation
Explaining big structure and largeprocess by Comparative-Historical Method 2…, two traditions of scientific inquiry∵… Distinction between causal teleological explanations. x Teleological explanation: It refers to the mode ofexplanation, which attempt to reveal the goals and/orintentions, which generate or motivate the explanadum usually an action to be explained to take place. Teleological explanations point to the future. This happened in order that that should occur.(von Wright, 1971, p. 8) This mode of explanation can be diferentiatedinto Intentional explanation Functional explanation(Quasi-teleological explanation
Explaining Big Structure and LargeProcess by Comparative-Historical Method z …two traditions of scientific inquiry… y Distinction between causal & teleological explanations… x Teleological explanation: It refers to the mode of explanation, which attempt to reveal the goals and/or intentions, which generate or motivate the explanadum (usually an action to be explained) to take place. “Teleological explanations point to the future. ‘This happened in order that that should occur.’” (von Wright, 1971, p. 83) This mode of explanation can be differentiated into • Intentional explanation • Functional explanation (Quasi-teleological explanation)
Explaining big structure and largeprocess by Comparative-Historical Method z Two perspectives of marcohistorical explanation in comparative-historical research y Functional-equivalent explanation y New-institutional explanation
Explaining Big Structure and LargeProcess by Comparative-Historical Method z Two perspectives of marcohistorical explanation in comparative-historical research y Functional-equivalent explanation y New-institutional explanation