In the study of social science，the researchers’ intuition and inspiration play an important role in the invention of concepts and the discovery of causal mechanisms. However，in our research methods，teaching，and discussions，most researchers either intentionally or unintentionally underestimate the value of intuition and inspiration. The use of scientific research methods to explore causalities and causal mechanisms is an explicit process in knowledge production，whereas intuition and inspiration are a tacit process in the nature and law of social facts. Researchers should have a methodological self-awareness but not a methodological fundamentalism. Intuition and inspiration play the role of a catalyst in social-science knowledge production.