Product Information
Written by an eminent and original thinker in the philosophy of science, this book takes a fresh, unorthodox look at the key philosophical concepts and assumptions of the social sciences. Mario Bunge contends that social scientists (anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists, economists, and historians) ought not to leave philosophy to philosophers who have little expertise in or knowledge of the social sciences. Bunge urges social scientists to engage in serious philosophizing and philosophers to participate in social research. The two fields are interrelated, he says, and important advances in each can supply tools for solving problems in the other. Bunge analyzes such concepts as fact, cause, and value that the fields of philosophy and social science share. He discusses assumptions and misassumptions involved in such current approaches as idealism, materialism, and subjectivism, and finds that none of the best-known philosophies helps to advance or even understand social science. In a highly critical appraisal of rational choice theories, Bunge insists that these models provide no solid substantive theory of society, nor do they help guide rational action. He offers ten criteria by which to evaluate philosophies of social science and proposes novel solutions to social science's methodological and philosophical problems. He argues forcefully that a particular union of rationalism, realism, and systemism is the logical and viable philosophical stance for social science practitioners.Product Identifiers
PublisherYale University Press
ISBN-139780300066067
eBay Product ID (ePID)86647254
Product Key Features
Number of Pages448 Pages
Publication NameFinding Philosophy in Social Science
LanguageEnglish
SubjectSociology
Publication Year1996
TypeTextbook
AuthorMario Bunge
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height243 mm
Item Weight844 g
Additional Product Features
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited States
Title_AuthorMario Bunge