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Professor Tang identify idea, action, and outcome as the three key objects of social sciences and explaining them as the three key tasks of social sciences. I show that our failure to grasp the ontological differences of the three objects and the fact that explaining them may require different epistemological stands and methodological tools has been a key cause behind the sterility of many of epistemological and methodological debates. Explicitly differentiating the three objects and grasping the fact that explaining them may require different epistemological stands and methodological tools therefore provides us with a better picture about the empirical challenges of social sciences and paves the way toward more scientific progresses. Our discussion also holds important pedagogical value. Keywords: idea; Action; Outcome; Ontology; Epistemology; Methodology; Scientific Realism

About the Speaker

Professor Shiping Tang is one of Asia’s most influential social scientists. He holds the position of Fudan Distinguished Professor and Dr. Seaker Chan Chair Professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA), Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He also holds a “Chang-Jiang/Cheung Kong Scholar” Distinguished Professorship from the Chinese Ministry of Education.  Prof. Tang has a very broad research interest, including international relations, comparative politics, institutional economics, philosophy of social sciences, and political theory.  Prof. Tang has published widely. His most recent book, The Social Evolution of International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2013), received the International Studies Association (ISA) “Annual Best Book Award” in 2015. He was the first Chinese and Asian scholar to receive this prestigious award. He is also the author of A Theory of Security Strategy for Our Time: Defensive Realism (Palgrave Macmillan 2010), A General Theory of Institutional Change (Routledge, 2011 hardcover, paperback 2013), and many articles in leading international journals. Prof. Tang is now working on another book, tentatively titled, On Social Evolution, and several major articles.