Enkele gedagtes rondom die oorsprong en geldigheid van ons kennis

Abstract

This article attempts to outline a number of aspects which pertain to the origin and justification of knowledge in Political Science. The analytic distinction which can be drawn between the context of discovery and the context of justification in science is used as a frame of reference. Within each of these categories a number of issues is raised. An attempt is also made to outline the extent to which a number of the principles and procedures which obtain in these categories have penetrated the discipline. The author's conclusion is that there is indeed a variety of alternatives to choose from when we want to justify our knowledge, and, that choice in these matters, is highly personal. Understanding the implications of these alternatives, however, is conducive to our understanding of the public nature of the scientific enterprise as a whole.