This article presents a long overdue analysis of the idea of an ethically committed social science, which, after the demise of positivism and the deeming of moral neutrality as impossible, has come to dominate the self-understanding of many contemporary sociological approaches. Once adequately specified, however, the idea is shown to be ethically questionable in that it works against the moral commitments constitutive of academic life. The argument is conducted with resources from the work of Peter Winch, thus establishing its continuing relevance and critical importance for the social sciences, sociology in particular. Special reference is made to heretofore unappreciated aspects of Winch’s work, including within the groundbreaking The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Philosophy, but focusing specifically on his later contributions to ethics.

本文对道德承诺社会科学的思想进行了早该分析，在实证主义消亡和认为道德中立是不可能的之后，该思想已开始主导许多当代社会学方法的自我理解。然而，一旦被充分说明，这个想法在伦理上是有问题的，因为它违背了构成学术生活的道德承诺。该论证是利用 Peter Winch 工作中的资源进行的，从而确立了其对社会科学，特别是社会学的持续相关性和至关重要的重要性。特别提到了 Winch 工作迄今为止未被重视的方面，包括在开创性的社会科学理念及其与哲学的关系中，但特别关注他后来对伦理学的贡献。