The humanities and social sciences as formative sciences according to Gadamer
Must a strict and rigorous methodology be applied to the humanities and social sciences to ensure they are objective ? In Truth and Method, Gadamer argues that the humanities should be approached differently than the methodological model put forth by natural sciences, which, since the 17th century, has claimed to be the only model capable of discerning the “truth.” For Gadamer, the humanities are best understood when they focus on humanism, the philosophy upon which they are founded ; but this practice is now largely forgotten. This article examines this humanist tradition to better understand the contribution of sociology and the other humanities and to show how the ideal of education and wisdom, as advocated by Gadamer, makes it possible for sociologists to reassess their approach to a subject of study, namely, the human and social world that surrounds us and with which we are engaged.