Benue State University, Makurdi

Nietzsche and Ethics

Terfa Kahaga Anjov, PhD and Moses Terwase Bebatso

Abstract

This paper aims at espousing on the question of objectivity in the social sciences. Like the natural sciences and all other scientific enterprise, objectivity is one of the greatest requirements of any form of investigation. Contrary to objectivity is subjectivity which is one of the bane of social science investigations and inquiries. This is because of the difficulty that exists in the attempt at successfully getting the individual investigator to drop his/her biases and to engage in an objective study of any phenomenon and to be value neutral. To achieve its aim, the paper adopts the critical and evaluative methods of data analysis. This paper found out that regardless of the factors that have been advanced as those affecting value neutrality and the near absence of complete objectivity in the social sciences, the precursors of the social sciences have argued for the value neutrality as well as the fact that objectivity can be reached in the social science. It is sequel to the above that Webber, through his distinction between cultural values and the values that are important for social science inquiry, argued that objectivity can be obtained or arrived at in the social sciences. To this end, the paper concludes that as the most cherish value in any scientific investigation, objectivity is possible in social science investigation if and only if, the investigator is able to decipher the Webberian distinction and to be mindful of the distinction in the process of any social science inquiry.

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