Philosophy of social science : the methods, ideals, and politics of social inquiry / Michael Root.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Root, Michael, 1940-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Social sciences--Methodology.

Physical Description:

xvii, 269 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford, England ; Cambridge, Mass. : Blackwell, 1993.

Summary:

This book is a critical introduction to the philosophy of social science, providing a clear description and provocative account of many of the methods and ideals that guide research and teaching in the social sciences. The author describes how theories are constructed and tested, how facts are predicted or explained, data collected and categorized, causes identified and findings presented in the social sciences and explains why, though the methods are intended to be value-free, they end up being partisan. Along with the description and criticism of the present philosophy of the social sciences, this book offers an alternative philosophy for the social sciences -- based on ideals and methods for research and teaching that favor one conception of the good over others.

Contents:

1 The liberal ideal 10

2 Max Weber and the methodology of the social sciences 33

3 Theories of development in psychology and political science 54

4 Functional theories in sociology and biology 78

5 Rational choice theories in positive and normative economics 100

6 Collecting data in the social sciences 124

7 Sorting data into kinds 149

8 Explaining the data 173

9 The fact/value distinction 205

10 Social science and perfectionism 229.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [254]-261) and indexes.

ISBN:

0631190414

0631190422

OCLC:

27679165