Assumptions Concerning the Social Sciences

Abstract

This paper comprises three major sections. The first section discussesmodem social assumptions concerning the existence of human beings andtheir societies. It also explains the impact of these assumptions on organizationaltheory. The second section explores Islamic assumptions concerningthese same two elements and explains a major attribute of Islamicorganizations. The third section compares the above-mentioned assumptions of modem social science to those of Islam and illustrates thatknowledge-transfer creates its own organizational and social problems.Modern Social Science Assumptions: HumanExistence and SocietyIn reviewing the modem science of human existence and society,Burrell and Morgan (1979) state that the relevant assumptions in this areacan be viewed in the light of two strands of thought: nominalism andrealism. Nominalism indicates that no real world structure exists outsideof the individual’s concepts, ideas, and thoughts. This implies that realityis constructed by individuals and leads them to experience multiple realities(Lincoln and Guba 1985). Societies and external existants to individualsare merely names perceived individually (Taylor and Bodgon1979). Societies, therefore, consist of individuals who have real existenceand, without them, there would be no societies (Behechti and Bahonar1990). According to nominalism, knowledge about multiple realities isgathered from individuals themselves ...