Hermeneutics and Phenomenology in the Social Sciences: Lessons from the Austrian of Economics
Greetings from APEE’s 2023 conference in Cancun, Mexico! This year, I have the pleasure of presenting a paper co-authored by Gabriel J. Zanotti (Universidad del CEMA) and Agustina Borella (Universidad de Buenos Aires) on the topic of hermeneutics and social sciences. In particular, we examine the case of the Austrian school.
Our paper argues that subjectivity also extends to interpreting social phenomena, which is where hermeneutics comes in. Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation, and it recognizes that human behavior cannot be reduced to mere observable data points. Instead, interpretation is necessary to understand the complex web of meanings and intentions that underlie human actions.
Our paper argues that hermeneutics is a necessary component in social sciences precisely because its object of study, human behavior, is purposeful. By acknowledging the need for interpretation, social scientists can avoid the pitfalls of both positivism and postmodernism. Positivism assumes that all social phenomena can be measured and analyzed objectively without considering the subjective experiences of individuals. On the other hand, Postmodernism rejects the possibility of objective knowledge altogether, reducing all knowledge to a mere social construct.
In conclusion, our paper argues that a proper application of hermeneutics means the Austrian school is neither positivist nor postmodernist. The Austrian school has a nuanced epistemology that does not defy empirical work but does not fit well in the “mainstream” positivist approach.
You can download the paper here. Below you can find my presentation slides.
