The Philosophy of the Social Sciences An Introduction

by Bishop, Robert C.

• ISBN13: 9780826489531
• ISBN10: 0826489532
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-08-28
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

This is the definitive companion to the study of the philosophy of the social sciences. It provides the student with an accessible, comprehensive and philosophically rigorous introduction to all the major philosophical concepts, issues and debates raised by the social sciences. Ideal for use in undergraduate courses, the structure and content of this textbook-the most thorough, clearly argued and up-to-date available-closely reflect the way the philosophy of the social sciences is studied and taught. The text examines key conceptual and methodological questions in the social sciences and illustrates how these shape the practice of research, the interpretation of findings and theory formulation in such disciplines as economics, political science and psychology. The book not only offers lucid and incisive coverage of the philosophy of the social sciences, but also extends the major debates and considers the latest directions in this growing area of philosophical interest. Robert C. Bishop's cogent and rigorous analysis is supplemented by useful pedagogical features, including key examples from philosophical writing; summaries of core debates; sample questions and exercises; and guides for further reading.

Table of Contents

Conceptions of science	p. 7
Historical and philosophical roots of the social sciences	p. 29
Five modes of social inquiry	p. 45
Cultural ideals I : instrumental reason	p. 81
Cultural ideals II : political liberalism and liberal individualism	p. 102
The myth of value-neutrality	p. 124
Methodological holism and methodological individualism	p. 150
Garbage in - garbage out : passing values off as scientific research	p. 168
Psychology and the behavioural sciences	p. 191
Rational-choice theory	p. 213
Political science	p. 236
Philosophy of economics	p. 254
Handling data	p. 277
Determinism and free will	p. 295
Explanations in social science	p. 315
Natural science and social science	p. 336
Beyond objectivism and relativism	p. 355
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