Epistemological Approach and Self-Reflection of Immanuel Wallerstein’s World- Systems Analysis

Immanuel Wallerstein criticizing social science which he considers directly related to development and continuation of the modern world-system focuses his critique on the epistemological structure of social science. Wallerstein stands against the structure of modern knowledge of social science which based on epistemological polarization consisting of duality of nomotethic-idiographic and interdisciplinary division, Eurocentrism, instrumental rationality and problematical approach of TimeSpace. Considering the construction of new knowledge as the responsibility of social scientists, Wallerstein tried to develop an alternative approach or overcome the boundaries of social science with world-system analysis. When the epistemological self-reflection of world-systems analysis is made in terms of giving clues about new social science, it is seen that Wallerstein fulfilled a part of this purpose. It is possible to say that Wallerstein used two epistemologies without distinction althoug he has an asymmetric tendency to the nomotethic and considered social reality in its entirety without breakin up with the boundaries of disciplines. He has coerced Eurocentrism in a manner consistent with his strategy, has tried to move away from the rationality of Enlightment with substantive rationality -he adopted- and has formed alternative TimeSpace layers. Thus he tries to pave the way for new knowledge structures and social science. In this context, he makes theoretical and practical contributions to the sociology of social sciences. However, the importance -he attached to the size of structural TimeSpace and addressing the modern world-system with a determinist approach eliminates of the purpose of the analysis.