Gesellschaftstheoretische Grundlagen der Europasoziologie. Die soziologische Beobachtung der Gesellschaft in der Europäischen Integration

The Relationship between Theory, Scientific Explanation and Statistics in the Social Sciences

“…The attempt to find explanations through this process lost strength for the same question about the origin that could not be answered by resorting to an absolute origin anymore, not without falling into an endless return. Accordingly, every form of explanation where the explainer is present in the initial explanation from which it emerges is unsatisfactory, for example, in the explanation of a social phenomenon where the said phenomenon is already embedded in the actors' wills, or in the explanation of specific social phenomena that are already in the own qualities of that society [4].…”

“…This same logic underlies the systems theory when it says that the explanation of the differences in society requires as starting point the unit of the system of society that creates these differences. With the development of thinking in the modern era, this construction of the concept of society results obsolete [4]. Hence, it is only possible to scientifically accept a concept of society when it allows to explain what is to be understood by resorting to empirically verifiable actions in society and asking about the existing conceptions of society in praxis.…”

“…He points out that this does not mean the end of a theory of society; rather, it opens the possibility to articulate a theory with empirical content. A theory that can clarify the existing phenomena in practice and can question its causes and its effects [4].…”

“…Another reason why we are inclined to consider the relationship between empirical research and the scientific and theoretical explanation is the recent emergence of a global society and regional societies of considerable dimensions, for example, the European society, which represents a challenge for quantification and theorization [3]. So far, the comparative-descriptive method and its statistical resources in sociological research had application within the limits of national borders [4]. When we look at the reports provided by the institutes devoted to statistical information, as well as the publications resulting from empirical research in social sciences, it is possible to argue we are before a "nationalist" methodology [4].…”

“…So far, the comparative-descriptive method and its statistical resources in sociological research had application within the limits of national borders [4]. When we look at the reports provided by the institutes devoted to statistical information, as well as the publications resulting from empirical research in social sciences, it is possible to argue we are before a "nationalist" methodology [4]. The nation state constitutes the basic unit for the calculation of every social research [5].…”