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International Journals International Journal of Sociology of The Family
REFERENCES
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International Journal of Sociology of the Family
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LOGICAL BARRIERS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY*
Mark Krain
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
close
may have great pay-offs within the texture. Define things,
given
studies (i.e., as "rules of evidence"). "unpack" the verbal formulations
But a simple extension of this into "simpler" components, analyze
strategy to all kinds of research the nature of statements, identify all
or to
variables,
the weaving-together-of-findings pro make explicit the relation
blem probably will not have similarbetween them, and so on. It
ships
pay-offs. is obvious that this is an enormous
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
involved in language (or more gen tic neural circuitry will, like that fo
erally in behavior) there must be any other machine, be subject to th
some basic structures involved that limitations on logic. It is indeed
account for its operating characteris tempting to view Chomsky's "gen
tics. In effect this position holds erative faculty" as a generator of in
that at some point the neural "circui formally structured but not formally
try" will be examinable and this derivable statements.
will settle all issues. Aside from any In a series of essays spanning now
inherent reductionism problems, fifteen years MacKay (1969) attempts
there is a basic issue of whether to join the engineering and informa
principles of operation can intion fact be
sciences with the behavioral
stated from knowledge of circuitry. and social ones by marshalling con
In their survey of the implications of the information sciences
cepts from
cybernetics, Crosson and Sayre (1967)
to clarify and organize ideas about
include an essay by J. L. Massey such things as language, meaning,
(1967) that points out an interesting and choice. MacKay's essays are
outcome from the mathematical the fascinating but come on their own to
ory of digital computing machines. conclusions
It similar to Chomsky's by
has been determined that there is denying the possibility of a com
little control that can be effected pletely mechanistic theory of langu
over computing machines. For ex age (MacKay, 1969; Chapters 6 and
ample it has been shown that it is 7). Interestingly enough for the
impossible to formulate a test which, position of the ethnomethodologists,
when applied to an arbitrary com the strongest basis for this conclu
puter program with its input data, sion seems to be his feeling that no
can determine even so little as mechanistic theory can match the
whether or not the machine will flexibility of natural language in its
ever stop computing (Massey, 1967:
adaptability across wide variations
64). The situation is yet more dis in identities of communicators and
turbing when computers are equip settings within which it is used (pp.
ped with effector and sensor organs 74-77).
and can generate their own decisions
about inputs. Though circuitry, pro Limited formalization in theory
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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200 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY
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DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. OF SOCIOLOGY OF TFIE FAMILY
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