Mechanisms without Critical Realism
Lanamäki, Arto; Siponen, Mikko (2024-08-30)
Association for Information Systems
30.08.2024
Lanamäki, Arto and Siponen, Mikko, "MECHANISMS WITHOUT CRITICAL REALISM" (2024). 15th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems. 14. https://aisel.aisnet.org/scis2024/14
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
© Association for Information Systems
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
© Association for Information Systems
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409035694
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202409035694
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
Roy Bhaskar’s Critical Realism (CR) is a popular philosophy in Information Systems (IS) research and is often linked to mechanism-based explanation (MBE) in IS. This association implies that (i) CR and MBE go hand in hand in the philosophy of science; or (ii) CR is the only available; or (iii) preferred philosophy for MBEs. However, the paper argues against the idea that CR is the only or preferred philosophy for MBEs. The role of CR in modern philosophy of MBE is marginal or even absent. CR carries extra baggage such as mystifying mechanisms as “unobservable.” The proponents of CR in IS should explain how CR’s mechanisms are distinct or preferred over MBEs in modern philosophy of science. Before this is shown, IS mechanism research and philosophy should reflect modern philosophy of science rather than CR.
Roy Bhaskar’s Critical Realism (CR) is a popular philosophy in Information Systems (IS) research and is often linked to mechanism-based explanation (MBE) in IS. This association implies that (i) CR and MBE go hand in hand in the philosophy of science; or (ii) CR is the only available; or (iii) preferred philosophy for MBEs. However, the paper argues against the idea that CR is the only or preferred philosophy for MBEs. The role of CR in modern philosophy of MBE is marginal or even absent. CR carries extra baggage such as mystifying mechanisms as “unobservable.” The proponents of CR in IS should explain how CR’s mechanisms are distinct or preferred over MBEs in modern philosophy of science. Before this is shown, IS mechanism research and philosophy should reflect modern philosophy of science rather than CR.
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