Samenvatting

In answer to Gitta Veldt’s call to educate law students in social scientific methodologies, this essay makes the argument that we should in fact strengthen the knowledge of legal doctrinal methodology. Lawyers should be more aware of the value of their own scientific methodology, because that unique quality makes them interesting as researchers in collaborative interdisciplinary teams. They should also be aware though of the possibilities and limitations of their own methodologies as well as those of the empirical sciences. A thorough education in the philosophy of science should give lawyers the skills to decide whether the legal question can be answered using doctrinal methodology or whether an expert in one of the empirical sciences should be consulted.