New directions in the philosophy of social science / Daniel Little.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Little, Daniel, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

xxi, 279 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Rowman & Littlefield International, [2016]

Summary:

Philosophy matters for the social sciences. Our world faces ever more complex and hazardous problems, and social science ontology and methods need to be adequately suited to the changing nature of the social realm. Imagination and new ways of thinking are crucial to the social sciences. Based on Daniel Little's popular blog, this book provides an accessible introduction to the latest developments and debates in the philosophy of social science. Each chapter addresses a leading issue in the philosophy of the social sciences today. Little advocates for an 'actor-centred sociology', endorsing the idea of meso-level causation and proposing a solution to the problem of 'mechanisms or powers'. New Directions in the Philosophy of Social Science draws significant conclusions from the facts of complexity and heterogeneity in the social world. Little develops a series of arguments that serve to provide a new framework for the philosophy of social science through deep engagement with social scientists and philosophers in the field. Topics covered include: the heterogeneity and plasticity of the social world; the complexity of social causation; the nuts and bolts of causal mechanisms; the applicability of the theory of causal powers to the social world; and the intellectual coherence of the perspective of scientific realism in application to social science. Book jacket.

Contents:

A better social ontology

Actor-centered sociology

Social things

Reduction and emergence

Generativity and complexity

Social causation

Social realism

Conclusion

References.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Little, Daniel, author. New directions in the philosophy of social science

ISBN:

9781783487400

9781783487394

1783487399

1783487402

OCLC:

954038221

Publisher Number:

99969320638