Research Methodology in the Human Sciences

Based on the foundationalist approach in epistemology, knowledge is a layered structure, with the underlying layer formed by "foundations" (mabani) and "principles" (osul), upon which theories are superstructures. One of the most crucial steps in understanding, critiquing, or producing a theory is the correct comprehension of the foundations and principles governing that theory, and disagreements among theories trace back to differences in their foundations and principles. This paper, by examining the definitions of the terms "foundation" and "principle," demonstrates that these two concepts are equivalent to "propositional principles" (mabadi-e tasdiqi) in logic. "Propositional principles" comprise two categories of universal propositions: descriptive propositions containing "is-statements" that determine the orientation and method of research (foundations), and prescriptive propositions containing "ought-statements" that are the instruments for the practical realization of the foundations (principles). The paper is organized using a "philosophical and epistemological" approach and the research method is descriptive-analytical.