The classical myth of Ulysses versus Palamedes: an early metaphor for the qualitative/quantitative debate?

Abstract

Greek mythology, Qualitative, Quantitative, Methodology, Epistemology, Debate, Interpretation, Ulysses, Palamedes,

Resistance to qual/quant parity: Why the “paradigm” discussion can’t be avoided.

“…Significantly, however, the paradigm wars have continued to simmer quietly in the background. The topic of qualitative and quantitative paradigms—how they might be defined, when they should be applied, and whether or not they can be reconciled—continues to be a regular topic of scholarly focus (e.g., Alise & Teddlie, 2010; Feng & Guangwei, 2014; Fernandez-Cano & Fernandez-Guerrero, 2011; Pett & Clark, 2012; Ravasi & Canato, 2013; Wiggins, 2009). Some authors note the longevity of the debate (e.g., Shepherd & Challenger, 2013), whereas others still hopefully anticipate its end (e.g., Bryman, 2006, 2008; Griffiths & Norman, 2013).…”

Drawing some evaluation patterns inferred from the biblical Gideon’s passage

“…An example of its application can be found in Fernández-Cano & Fernández-Guerrero (2010), where a hermeneutic re-update is carried out on the quantitative-qualitative methodological dualism in social sciences, using texts by Homer about the antagonism between Palamedes and Ulysses as an explicative metaphor. If any criticism were to be made of the use of metaphors, it would not be the use of them itself, but the poor, stilted development of those metaphors.…”