Finding Philosophy in Social Science Mario Bunge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heimann, Mary, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

New Haven, CT Yale University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Introduction: Why Philosophy?

Part A. From Fact to Theory

1. Fact

2. Idea

3. Inquiry

4. Systematization

Part B. From Explanation to Justification

5. Explanation and Prediction

6. Empirical Operations

7. Science et al.

8. Values and Morals

Part C. General Philosophical Problems in Social Science

9. Individualism and Holism

10. Systemism

11. Idealism and Materialism

12. Intuitionism, Empiricism, Pragmatism, and Rationalism

13. Subjectivism and Realism

14. Between Reason and Fact: Rational Choice Theory

Appendixes

References

Index of Names

Index of Subjects

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed December 16 2025)

ISBN:

9780300146233

030014623X

OCLC:

861792659