The article aims to take part in discussion on possibility of defining unambiguous subject of research in political science. As theoretical knowledge is generally complex and multi-level structured, the subject of research in scientific discipline is forced fuzzy and ambiguous. This statement implies that methodological monism in defining scientific disciplines is entirely incorrect, as it ignores the very essence of theoretical knowledge in social sciences. The article contains analysis on four levels of theoretical knowledge and research: general disciplinary structure of science, structure of research in scientific discipline, structure of the core of scientific discipline and structure of individual elements of the core. Each level enforces particular ambiguity of subject of research, which is
An important revolution in modern philosophy consists in postulating that philosophy does not cognize the world, but is able only to study thinking, or, which in this context is the same, to cognize knowledge. This thesis has allowed reorganizing the pattern of interaction between philosophers and the representatives of special sciences. Ancient philosophers created general theories of the world by basing on the principles “revealed by the power of the mind” and then entrusted it as an intellectual weapon to other intellectuals. Nowadays philosophers develop theories of knowledge; transmit the methods built on their basis to the special sciences, and wait for the results of its application. It is assumed that the theories of the animate and inanimate nature, of the humans and society, constructed by using the scientific method, could be generalized, and only on this basis an ontology, i.e. a philosophical theory of being, can be built. Then philosophers must be re-engaged in performing generalization and reflection, which replaces speculation. But today, philosophy is neither speculation nor reflection. Philosophy seems to become “post-theoretical thinking,” which determines the boundaries of a theory, and articulates the use of theoretical knowledge in a variety of intellectual and social practices.
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