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Department of Philosophy

University of Peradeniya

PHY 408 - Philosophical and Theoretical approaches in Sociology, Anthropology & political science

The course will provide Philosophy honors students with an idea about the theoretical critical knowledge about Social Sciences with special reference to Sociology, Anthropology, Economics and Political Science.

Course content:

  • Part I

    What is Philosophical Analysis?, Theory and Philosophy in Anthropology Sociology., Economics & Political Science., Philosophy of Sociology., Positivism in Sociology- England., Germany & France., Positivism in Political Science., Structuralism – Sausage., Levi- Strauss., Structuralism and beyond (Bourdieu, Giddeus & Sahlius)., Psychoanalysis and Anthropology., Phenomenology and Sociology., Discourse(Facoult).

  • Part II – Social Science in Sri Lankan Context

    Anthropology., Sociology and Political Culture in Contemporary Sri Lanka.Gananatha Obeysekere’s Contribution to Sociology & Anthropology., S.J.Thambiah’s contribution to Sciences, The nature of Political discourse in contemporary Sri Lanka., Politics of Ethics and Ethics of Politics, Pierre Bourdieu Philosophy of Sociology., Habitus, Strategy and Practice.,


Reading List
1. Levi-Strauss, C., 1976 Structural Anthropology 2 Basic Books.
2. Sahlins, M., Historical Metaphors and Mythical Realities, Chs. 1&2.
3. Ortner, S., 1984 “Theory in Anthropology since the sixties” in Comparative Studies in Society and History.
4. Asad, T., Anthropology and the analysis of ideology Man 14 607-27
5. Giddens, A., Central Problems in Sociological Theory Ch 1 & 2.(98)
6. Barth, F., 1959 Political Leadership among the Swat Pathans, LSE Monographs on Social Anthropology (for good Marxist Critique of the book.
7. මල්ලිකාරච්චි ඩෙස්මන්. 2003 E, සමාජ විද්‍යාත්මක හා මනෝ විද්‍යාත්මක රචනා ශාස්ත්‍රෝදය මුද්‍රණාලය. කුලියාපිටිය.

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