Sociology Plus
Essentially Contested Concept Definition
An essentially contested concept refers to a category of general concepts within the social sciences, such as power or equality, whose meanings are inherently subject to dispute among scholars and theorists. This disagreement arises because competing interpretations of these terms inevitably involve relativity to specific values, meaning that while hypotheses using these concepts can be tested empirically, their application remains framed by the evaluative framework in which they are situated.
Origins and Theory
The concept is associated with the work of W.B. Gallie (1955) and Lukes (1974), who argued that certain social science terms are inherently matters of dispute. This contention stems from the nature of the concepts themselves, as opposed to empirical facts.
The Problem of Assessment
The existence of essentially contested concepts highlights a fundamental difficulty in social science: assessing or measuring phenomena related to these concepts. For instance, when examining equality, there is persistent disagreement over whether it refers to equality of outcome or equality of opportunity. Since these ideological and political disputes are unlikely to resolve, the methods used to assess inequality also remain contested.
Examples
Concepts such as equality and democracy are frequently cited as examples of essentially contested concepts. The dispute over definitions demonstrates that social science analysis requires acknowledging the value-laden nature inherent in conceptualisation.