Logische formalisering in de sociale wetenschappen: een case study

Samenvatting

It is usually assumed that theories should be consistent and coherent. Unfortunately, inconsistencies, incoherencies, or other logical defects are difficult to detect when a theory is stated in natural language (e.a., English). When a theory is translated into a formal logical language, its structure becomes more explicit, and better accessible for repair. Furthermore, new hypotheses can be derived from a given theory by using the formal machinery. In this paper we show how a formalization in a logical language can be done, by formalizing an important fragment of Michael T. Hannan's and John Freeman's Organizational Ecology in First Order Logic, examining its logical properties, and deriving new theorems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Mens en Maatschappij is the property of Amsterdam University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)