Lauer, Johann
„Methodenstreit“ und Politikwissenschaft: Der methodologische Glaubenskrieg am Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts zwischen szientistischem Establishment und phronetischen Perestroikans
This monograph focuses on the dispute known in political science as “Methodenstreit.” Its beginnings date back to the 19th century, and at the beginning of the 21st century it can justifiably be called a “methodological science war”.
Firstly, an ad fontes reconstruction by means of methodical books and classic literature of naturalism, positivism and scientism is undertaken, demonstrating that this is not an issue of the mainstream but the
establishment. Afterwards, the opposite opinion is presented, using the example of the phronetic Perestroikans who undertook a last great rebellion against the establishment.
The limits of applied methodologies are presented in detail, of the scientistic (normative rational choice theory) as well as the phronetic kind (applied phronesis). Furthermore, a case is made for the necessity for
a genuinely practical (normative, pragmatic and technical) methodology complementary to an empirical (descriptive, explanatory and prognostic) one.
