The language of scientific theories explaining social processes. Introduction to the issues

Abstract

Two hypotheses were verified in the article. Arguments were found in favor of withdrawing from the classification of the data language indicating the behavioral and phenomenological language, approach for the separation of nomothetic and idiographic language as a criterion for the science-based analysis of theory. The meaning of this second classification is consistent with the analytical practice used by Madsen – the creator of the concepts of the behavioral and phenomenological language. He focused more on the issue of objectivism versus subjectivism and the generalizing analysis versus the individualizing one than on what could be expected from the original meaning of the concepts of the phenomenological and behavioral language. The second analytical thread of this text led to the conclusion that limiting the data language to the descriptive layer of the theory – as Madsen wanted – is an unauthorized reduction. Consequently, the need to develop new classifications of the language of theory referring to all its layers was highlighted.