Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review 2010, 46(4): 593-618 | DOI: 10.13060/00380288.2010.46.4.05

A Heuristic Strategy for the Study of Human Affairs

Jiří Kabele
Fakulta sociálních věd Univerzity Karlovy, Praha

Heuristic methodology attempts to outline the justifications, philosophical assumptions, and rules for the scholarly study of human affairs in order to prevent such study from violating the rights of others and enable it to produce valuable knowledge. To solve this problem, the author draws theoretical support from his game-coordination solution to the agency/structure dilemma and takes inspiration from Garfinkel's concept of 'doing sociology' and from the 'epistemology' of the independent justice-seeking court, which for centuries has developed procedural principles and rules that balance the protection of human rights with effective investigation. The study of human affairs is conceived as a sequence of three types of choices - search, hermeneutic, and presentation choice - in order to guarantee that such study become a responsible strategic and epistemological game. The resulting heuristic strategy is characterised in mainly procedural terms by the two closely related principles: of study independence and of review.

Keywords: accountability, civil rights, ethical review, heuristic choice, justice making, methodology, neutrality, research ethics.

Published: August 1, 2010  Show citation

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Kabele, J. (2010). A Heuristic Strategy for the Study of Human Affairs. Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review, 46(4), 593-618. doi: 10.13060/00380288.2010.46.4.05
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