The operation of “Verstehen”

Cf. E. Mokrzycki, Two Concepts of Humanistic Sociology, «The Polish Sociological Bulletin», No. 2, 1969.Google Scholar

T.Abel, The Operation Called Verstehen, in H.Feigl and M.Brodbeck (eds.), Readings in the Philosophy of Science, New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1953, pp. 678–9.Google Scholar

Note the following interpretations of Verstehen: T. Abel, op. cit.; H. P. Rickman, Understanding and the Human Studies, London, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 1967; Q. Gibson, The Logic of Social Enquiry, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1960, Ch. V; D. Sztejnbarg, Understanding and Explanation in the Doctrines of Dilthey and Spranger, «Kwartalnik Psychologiczny», VII (1935); S. Nowak, Studies in the Methodology of the Social Sciences, Warsaw, 1965, Ch. IV; J. Kmita and L. Nowak, Studies in the Theoretical Foundations of the Science of Man, Poznań, 1968, Chp. V.Google Scholar

To avoid misunderstandings, which are frequent in the case of such formulations, it is to be emphasized that whenever reference is made to a person's situation, this means not only certain conditions in which the person actually is, but the totality of that person's characteristics, as we know them. There is, unfortunately, no fully adequate term to render this idea.Google Scholar

A definition of an indicator is to be found, for instance, is S. Nowak, Correlational, Definitional and Inferential Indicators in Social Research and Theory, «The Polish Sociological Bulletin», No. 2 (8), 1963.Google Scholar

S.Ossowski, On the Peculiarities of the Social Sciences, Warszawa, Polish Scientific Publishers, 1962, p. 235.Google Scholar

S. Nowak, Studies in the Methodology of the Social Sciences, cit.Google Scholar

G. R.Lundberg, Foundations of Sociology. Quoted after: M.Natanson (ed.), Philosophy of the Social Sciences, New York, Random House, 1963, p. 44.Google Scholar

G. R.Lundberg, Foundations of Sociology. Quoted after: M.Natanson (ed.), Philosophy of the Social Sciences, New York, Random House, 1963, p. 47.Google Scholar

The presence author attempted that, in part, in his paper The Choice of Indicators and the Requirement of the Empirical Nature of Natural Science Terms, «Studia Socjologiczne», No. 2 (9), 1963. Many arguments in support of that claim are to be found in S. Ossowski's book On the Peculiarities of the Social Sciences, cit.Google Scholar

A. Malewski, A Comment on the Discussion on the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, «Studia Socjologiczne», No. 2 (5), 1962.Google Scholar

Ibid., pp. 236–7.Google Scholar

An operationalization of a term, in the sociologists' jargon, is the same as an empirical interpretation of that term. This, as a rule, has nothing in common with that method of defining terms which has been advocated by P. W. Bridgman.Google Scholar