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Sociology Optional PYQ Solutions · Model answer

Is Sociology a Value-free Science? Discuss.

  • UPSC 2020
  • Sociology as a Science

Max Weber gave sociology its most influential answer to this question — a qualified "yes," resting on a careful distinction between where values may legitimately operate in research and where they must not.

You are reading the opening of the model answer. The full answer is part of Sociology Optional PYQ Solutions.

What the full answer covers

  • Weber's Fact-Value Distinction
  • Value-Relevance versus Value-Judgment
  • The Machinery Weber Proposed for Achieving It
  • Gouldner's Critique — The Myth of Value-Free Sociology
  • A Nuanced Position — Value-Freedom as Regulative Ideal

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