Applications of the Axiomatic Method in Social Science: The Declaration of Independence, Einstein and Ethics, and Balance and Dissonance Attitude Theories

Abstract

The value of the axiomatic method in conjunction with Muncaster's PropCalc Workplace to analyze and increase the precision of social science theory is illustrated through applications that include political philosophy, ethical reasoning, and theories of attitude change. All of the examples were originally expressed through verbal statements. A formal logical analysis is applied to the US Declaration of Independence which provides a set of propositions upon which governments are based, Einstein's essay on the laws of science and the laws of ethics, and basic concepts of balance and dissonance theories of attitude change. In each case, symbolic representations of the verbal language are then subjected to analysis for consistency and redundancy among the propositions and sample conclusions from each model are presented. The Muncaster's PropCalc is a valuable aid in identifying the integrity and consequences of the models. The discussion includes an examination of the relationship between the models and their correspondence with reality.