Conservatism, radicalism, and scientific method an essay on social attitudes / Albert Benedict Wolfe.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wolfe, Albert Benedict, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social psychology.

Social psychology--Methodology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 354)

Other Title:

Conservatism, radicalism, and scientific method

Place of Publication:

New York : Macmillan Co, 1923.

Summary:

"The main purpose of this book is to present a dispassionate analysis, as objective as I could make it, of the sources, characteristics, and the socio-ethical bearing of the attitudes treated. But in working out the probable social effects of the several attitudes, and especially in the attempt to indicate the fundamental social and ethical function of scientific method and the scientific attitude, it became necessary to touch upon the problem of fundamental ethical norms, both of ends and of means, and attempt, as is done in Chapter X, on Individualism and Democracy, to indicate the psychological basis for an objective ethical norm. The critical reader may find in this chapter, and perhaps in some of the discussion of scientific method, evidences of a priori assumption, contrary to the scientific spirit; but the conclusions drawn rest upon only one outstanding fundamental postulate, namely, the assumption of a consistent mechanistic, deterministic view of nature, man and his social relations includes. I have been driven to this postulate because it seems to be the only one in accord with rational experience, and the only one which affords a sure basis of understanding of phenomena, both 'natural' and 'social'"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.