Conceptualization and Scientific Discovery

On Paul Lazarsfeld's Methodological Philosophy

Abstract

Scientific discovery is often identified with the sheer observation of a new phenomenon. Thomas Kuhn has convincingly shown this idea to be false, stressing the vital role that theory and conceptualization play in this process. The history of contextual analysis nicely illustrates the validity of Kuhn's argument: although its earliest applications date back to the 19th century, it was not until Paul Lazarsfeld discussed its basic logic in the 1950s that the potentialities of this method have been fully noticed. What Lazarsfeld added to isolated uses of this technique was a conceptual framework that greatly facilitated the diffusion of contextual analysis within the sociological community. This example shows that for a new method to get firmly established, mere application is not enough - serious conceptual work is needed as well. It also demonstrates one central element in Lazarsfeld's general methodological philosophy - namely, the strong commitment to the explication of the logical foundations of the procedures employed in empirical social research.