POLS 1600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Carl Von Clausewitz, World Politics, Hubris
31 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
A theory is a logically formed model or framework describing the behavior of a certain social phenomenon, thus either originating from observable facts or supported by them. Scientific theories are formulated, developed, and evaluated according to the scientific method. A theory must be testable in some way; for examples, one can theorize that an apple will fall when dropped, and then drop an apple, to see that it actually happens. Many scientists argue that religious beliefs are not testable, thus not theories, because they are matters of faith. It is difficult to know what really motivates decision-makers or what brought about certain world political events or processes. In evaluating possible motivations and explanations we are inevitably led into the realm of theory. Different theoretical systems can lead us to focus on different aspects of world political problems and to see world politics in very different ways.
