Philosophy of the Social Sciences Towards Pragmatism

by Baert, Patrick

• ISBN13: 9780745622477
• ISBN10: 074562247X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780745699981
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-18
• Publisher: Polity
• More Book Details

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

Introduction

Emile Durkheim's naturalism

Introduction

An uneasy relationship with positivism

How to be a proper sociologist

Application: the study of suicide

Evaluation

Further reading

Bibliography

Max Weber's interpretative method

Introduction

Transcending the Methodenstreit

Ideal types and different types of action

Application: the Protestant Ethic

Evaluation

Further reading

Bibliography

Karl Popper's falsificationism

Introduction

What science is about

The controversy with Kuhn

How to make social science scientific

The problem with historicism and utopianism

Methodological individualism

Evaluation

Further reading

Bibliography

Critical realism

The realist bandwagon

Realism, reality and causality

Creative scientists at work

Contributions to social theory

Application: British politics

Evaluation

Further reading

Bibliography

Critical Theory

Introduction

The Early Frankfurt School

Juuml;rgen Habermas

Further reading

Bibliography

Richard Rorty and Pragmatism

Introduction

American pragmatism and Rorty

The myth of scientific method

The new left and the cultural left

Evaluation

Further reading

Bibliography

A Pragmatist philosophy of the social sciences Outline of a pragmatist view

Cultural anthropology

Archaeology

History and social sciences

Some concluding remarks

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