Philosophy of the Social Sciences Towards Pragmatism

by Baert, Patrick

• ISBN13: 9780745622460
• ISBN10: 0745622461
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780745699981
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-11-18
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

In this ground-breaking new text, Patrick Baert analyses the central perspectives in the philosophy of social science, critically investigating the work of Durkheim, Weber, Popper, critical realism, critical theory, and Rorty's neo pragmatism. Places key writers in their social and political contexts, helping to make their ideas meaningful to students. Shows how these authors' views have practical uses in empirical research. Lively approach that makes complex ideas understandable to upper-level students, as well as having scholarly appeal.

Author Biography

Patrick Baert is University Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Introduction	1	(9)
Emile Durkheim's Naturalism	10	(27)
Introduction	10	(3)
An uneasy relationship with positivism	13	(8)
How to be a proper sociologist	21	(6)
Application: the study of suicide	27	(5)
Evaluation	32	(4)
Further reading	36	(1)
Max Weber's Interpretative Method	37	(24)
Introduction	37	(4)
Transcending the Methodenstreit	41	(5)
Ideal types and different types of action	46	(5)
Application: the Protestant ethic	51	(4)
Evaluation	55	(4)
Further reading	59	(2)
Karl Popper's Falsificationism	61	(26)
Introduction	61	(4)
What science is about	65	(3)
The controversy with Kuhn	68	(3)
How to make social science scientific	71	(3)
The problem with historicism and utopianism	74	(3)
Methodological individualism	77	(3)
Evaluation	80	(5)
Further reading	85	(2)
Critical Realism	87	(19)
Introduction	87	(3)
Realism, reality and causality	90	(4)
Creative scientists at work	94	(2)
Contributions to social theory	96	(2)
Application: British politics	98	(3)
Evaluation	101	(4)
Further reading	105	(1)
Critical Theory	106	(20)
Introduction	106	(1)
The early Frankfurt School	107	(9)
Jurgen Habermas	116	(9)
Further reading	125	(1)
Richard Rorty and Pragmatism	126	(20)
Introduction	126	(1)
American pragmatism and Rorty	127	(4)
The myth of scientific method	131	(4)
The New Left and the Cultural Left	135	(3)
Evaluation	138	(6)
Further reading	144	(2)
A Pragmatist Philosophy of the Social Sciences	146	(24)
Outline of a pragmatist view	146	(11)
Cultural anthropology	157	(3)
Archaeology	160	(3)
History and the social sciences	163	(3)
Some concluding remarks	166	(4)
Notes	170	(16)
References and Bibliography	186	(16)
Index	202