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> 1) “Social science” isn’t science. Have you ever read anything by Eric Kaufmann? He's a political scientist (like Claudine Gay), but one whose conclusions I

> 1) “Social science” isn’t science. Have you ever read anything by Eric Kaufmann? He's a political scientist (like Claudine Gay), but one whose conclusions I think you'd find have a lot in common with your own thinking (unlike Claudine Gay).

rayiner 3y ago
I wouldn't call Eric Kauffman a "scientist," and I don't think Kauffman would call himself one either. His bio page says: > I am a Professor of Politics from Vancouver, British Columbia, I was born in Hong Kong and spent eight early years of my life in Tokyo. In winter, my favourite pastimes are (ice) hockey and skiing. In summer, cooling off in the ocean or by the lake. I am principally interested in cultural politics: ethnicity, national identity, left-wing ideology and religion. Lots of people study things, without properly being called scientists. Historians, archeologists, etc.
- skissane 3y ago
  > I wouldn't call Eric Kauffman a "scientist," and I don't think Kauffman would call himself one either. Back in October, during an interview with Tara Henley, [0] he said "I'm a political scientist..." And, the topic of the interview is how he's leaving the University of London to start up a new "Centre for Heterodox Social Science" at the University of Buckingham. "Political science" is the standard term for Kauffman's academic discipline, and so not only does he call himself a "political scientist", it is standard for journalists reviewing his books (etc) to call him that too, see [1] > Lots of people study things, without properly being called scientists. Historians, archeologists, etc. Well, Merriam-Webster defines [2] "archaeology" as "the scientific study of material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls, and monuments) of past human life and activities" (my emphasis), and very many archaeologists do consider their discipline to be a "science": for example, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center defines archaeology as "the science that seeks to learn about past humans and their culture from the material remains that were left behind" [3] Likewise, the British philosopher and historian R. G. Collingwood's definition of history as "the science of res gestae, the attempt to answer questions about human actions done in the past" is frequently quoted. [0] https://tarahenley.substack.com/p/transcript-eric-kaufmann https://tarahenley.substack.com/p/transcript-eric-kaufmann [1] https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-political-scientist-defends-white-identity-politics-eric-kaufmann-whiteshift-book https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-political-scientist... https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s3003131.htm https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s3003131.htm https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/eric-kaufmann-closed-refugee-camp/589663/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/eric-kaufm... [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology [3] https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/process-of-archaeology/ https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/process-of-archaeology/

rayiner 3y ago

I wouldn't call Eric Kauffman a "scientist," and I don't think Kauffman would call himself one either. His bio page says: > I am a Professor of Politics from Vancouver, British Columbia, I was born in Hong Kong and spent eight early years of my life in Tokyo. In winter, my favourite pastimes are (ice) hockey and skiing. In summer, cooling off in the ocean or by the lake. I am principally interested in cultural politics: ethnicity, national identity, left-wing ideology and religion. Lots of people study things, without properly being called scientists. Historians, archeologists, etc.

skissane 3y ago
> I wouldn't call Eric Kauffman a "scientist," and I don't think Kauffman would call himself one either. Back in October, during an interview with Tara Henley, [0] he said "I'm a political scientist..." And, the topic of the interview is how he's leaving the University of London to start up a new "Centre for Heterodox Social Science" at the University of Buckingham. "Political science" is the standard term for Kauffman's academic discipline, and so not only does he call himself a "political scientist", it is standard for journalists reviewing his books (etc) to call him that too, see [1] > Lots of people study things, without properly being called scientists. Historians, archeologists, etc. Well, Merriam-Webster defines [2] "archaeology" as "the scientific study of material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls, and monuments) of past human life and activities" (my emphasis), and very many archaeologists do consider their discipline to be a "science": for example, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center defines archaeology as "the science that seeks to learn about past humans and their culture from the material remains that were left behind" [3] Likewise, the British philosopher and historian R. G. Collingwood's definition of history as "the science of res gestae, the attempt to answer questions about human actions done in the past" is frequently quoted. [0] https://tarahenley.substack.com/p/transcript-eric-kaufmann https://tarahenley.substack.com/p/transcript-eric-kaufmann [1] https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-political-scientist-defends-white-identity-politics-eric-kaufmann-whiteshift-book https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a-political-scientist... https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s3003131.htm https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s3003131.htm https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/eric-kaufmann-closed-refugee-camp/589663/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/eric-kaufm... [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology [3] https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/process-of-archaeology/ https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/process-of-archaeology/