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Methodological Concepts (continued)
Research and Understanding
- What is research?
- Systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting information to understand and explain a subject, issue, or phenomenon. It is structured and goal-oriented.
- Research is the methodical quest for new knowledge in order to enhance scientific or scholarly understanding.
- What is knowledge?
- Platonic answer: true belief
- Reliability’s additions: justification is needed, evidence, reasonably grounded
- What is knowledge?
- What is understanding?
- The meaning, significance, or essence of a phenomenon, idea, or situation. It goes beyond surface-level knowledge to explore deeper reasons and mechanisms.
- It involves contextuality, multidimensionality, and critical thinking.
- Understanding is the mastery of knowledge. True intellectual command over any subject involves mor than just accumulating factual knowledge or information. One who understands knows how many facts relate to each other, which information is relevant, and how further relevant information can be reliably gained.
- How do research and understanding intersect in humanities?
- Their relation is reciprocal.
- On the one hand, intelligent and productive research of any subject presupposes a certain degree of (pre-existing) understanding of that very subject. On the other hand, productive research enhances the (pre-existing) understanding
Historical Sense and Historical Knowledge
- What is historical sense, and how can one develop it?
- Ability to understand past events, ideas, societies within their own context, rather than imposing contemporary views on them.
- Mastering the change and considering that change is inevitable
- Example: Venus covering her body → why?
- shyness → senseless
- ability to interpret it in context is about having historical sense
- How does historical sense connect to knowledge?
- French Revolution with it timeline, dates and actors is not enough. Insight into the social and cultural conditions are very important.
- The relationship is reciprocal. Historical sense guides one’s interaction
Historical Universalism and Local Relevance of Humanities
- What is historical universalism, and how does it manifest within the humanities?
- Openness
- Comparative and cross-cultural studies, global history, and the careful identification and exploration of human universals.
- How does historical universalism align with demands for local, such as national, relevance of humanities work?
- There is a tension between. Balancing this tension to avoid both the withdrawal into the lofty i
Cultural Pluralism
- What is cultural pluralism, and how does it drive the humanities?
- Recognition and acceptance of the coexistence of diverse cultures, each contributing unique values and insights to human development. Richness of human diversity is the key.
- Could one envision a culturally non-pluralistic state of the humanities?
- It would be narrow and one-dimensional. Intellectual rigidity.