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Here, we introduce the shortcomings, and ultimately the fallibility, of the inductive method in sociology while arguing for a shift toward methods that emphasize theory development, testing, and application. We critique the dominance of empiricism, highlighting the divergence from the scientific method that occurred when the larger part of social science took up the methodological teachings of J.S. Mill and R.A. Fisher. Popper’s critique of induction lays the groundwork for understanding how relying on induction to generalize findings can hinder the growth of sociological knowledge. Then, we argue for using experiment-tested theory to increase social science’s explanatory breadth and predictive power.

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Introduction

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • David Willer,
  • Pamela Emanuelson

摘要

Here, we introduce the shortcomings, and ultimately the fallibility, of the inductive method in sociology while arguing for a shift toward methods that emphasize theory development, testing, and application. We critique the dominance of empiricism, highlighting the divergence from the scientific method that occurred when the larger part of social science took up the methodological teachings of J.S. Mill and R.A. Fisher. Popper’s critique of induction lays the groundwork for understanding how relying on induction to generalize findings can hinder the growth of sociological knowledge. Then, we argue for using experiment-tested theory to increase social science’s explanatory breadth and predictive power.