Philosophy of social science : the philosophical foundations of social thought /

Benton, Ted, 1942-

Philosophy of social science : the philosophical foundations of social thought / Ted Benton and Ian Craib. - 2nd ed., 10th anniversary ed. - Houndsmill, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. - x, 260 p. ; 24 cm. - Traditions in social theory Themes in social theory .

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface to the second edition -- Introduction to the first edition -- Empiricism and positivism in science -- Some problems of empiricism and positivism -- Science, nature and society : some alternatives to empiricism -- Interpretive approaches 1: instrumental rationality -- Interpretive approaches 2: rationality as rule-following: cultures, traditions and hermeneutics -- Interpretive approaches 3: critical rationality -- Critical realism and the social sciences -- Feminism, knowledge, and society -- Post-structuralism and postmodernism -- Conclusion: in defence of philosophy -- Commentary on recent developments.



9780230242609 (alk. paper) 9780230242593 (hbk.)


Social sciences--Philosophy.

300.1