Objectivity and subjectivity in social sciences: introduction to interdisciplinary relations between lawand development

Abstract

The relationship between Law and development require interdisciplinary study in the social sciences. Such studies, however, need to face the problem of objectivity, because a claim for development presupposes a value judgment. The article presents some discussions in the social sciences on the problem of subjectivity or objectivity of scientific knowledge. It studies the distinctions between natural sciences and social sciences but also the empirical basis that, although differently, all of them presuppose. Then the article try to understand what is meant by scientific objectivity as opposed to subjectivity, featuring three possible meanings: the reification of the research object, the non-assessment by the researcher and the non-intervention of the researcher on the studied object. These three meanings of objectivity are then evaluated according to certain visions of social science, and in particular, the science of law, allowing the conclusions of the article, ruled by the epistemology as its method.