Mapping the 'gray area' – commentary to Tulumello

Abstract

As a response to Simone Tulumello’s essay ‘Generalization, epistemology and concrete: what can social sciences learn from the common sense of engineers’, in this commentary I reflect on some of the issues that I consider key elements in his provocative original text. I mainly pay attention to the question of balancing between ideal-typical simplification and nuance in Tulumello’s argumentation, pointing at the risks involved in a writing strategy that seeks not only to engage and inspire but also persuade and convince.