Social Science under Debate : A Philosophical Perspective.
- 1st ed.
- 1 online resource (557 pages)
Intro -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- Part A: Basic Social Science -- 1 From Natural Science to Social Science -- 1 Nature and Society -- 2 The Natural Science/Social Science Divide -- 3 The Nomothetic/Idiographic Dichotomy -- 4 Biosociology and. Sociobiology -- 5 Demography and Geography -- 6 Social Psychology -- 7 Anthropology -- 8 Linguistics -- 2 Sociology -- 1 Agency and Structure -- 2 Class and Status, Role and Norm -- 3 Micro-Macro Relations -- 4 Coleman's Linear System of Action -- 5 Economic Imperialism -- 6 Economicism Does Not Pay -- 7 Economic Sociology and Socio-Economics -- 8 Barbarians inside the Gates -- 3 Positive Economics -- 1 What Is Economics About? -- 2 Economic Concepts -- 3 Economic Assumptions -- 4 Laws and Rules, Theories and Models -- 5 Neoclassical Microeconomics: Rationality and Perfect Competition -- 6 Neoclassical Microeconomics Continued: Equilibrium and Price -- 7 Positive Macroeconomics -- 8 Ugly Facts versus Pretty Theory -- 4 Political Science -- 1 Units of Analysis and Power -- 2 Government and People: Autocracy to Democracy -- 3 Rational-Choice Politology -- 4 Public-Choice and Social-Choice Theories -- 5 Explaining and Predicting Political Events -- 6 Politics, Ideology, Morality -- 7 Domestic Politics -- 8 International Relations -- 5 Culturology -- 1 Idealism versus Materialism -- 2 Externalism versus Internalism -- 3 Sociology of Knowledge: Marx to Merton -- 4 The Antiscientific Reaction -- 5 Technology in Society -- 6 Social Science in Society -- 7 Ideology -- 8 The Market Approach to Culture -- 6 History -- 1 Historical Objectivity, Lies, and Forgeries -- 2 Materialism versus Idealism -- 3 Systemism versus Individualism and Holism -- 4 Law, Accident, Luck -- 5 Trends: Progress, Stagnation, Decline -- 6 Interpretation or Hypothesis? -- 7 Historical Explanation -- 8 Uses of History. Part B: Sociotechnology -- 7 Action Theory -- 1 Systemic Praxiology -- 2 Decision Theory -- 3 Collective-Action Theory -- 4 Austrian Praxiology -- 5 Reasons for the Failure of Rational-Choice Action Theory -- 6 Values and Norms -- 7 Policy -- 8 Planning -- 8 Law -- 1 Norm and Truth -- 2 Law and Morality -- 3 Legal Code and Legal Theory -- 4 Legal Reasoning -- 5 Private and Public -- 6 Rights and Duties -- 7 Crime and Punishment -- 8 Law's Impotence -- 9 Management Technology -- 1 Strategy: Policy -- 2 Tactics: Planning -- 3 Management -- 4 Operations Research -- 5 Private and Public -- 6 Resource Management -- 7 Management and Politics -- 8 Rationality in Action -- 10 Normative Economics -- 1 Normative Macroeconomics -- 2 Economic Policy -- 3 Economic Planning -- 4 Welfare Economics -- 5 Capitalism: Old and New, Pro and Con -- 6 Statism: Fascist and Communist -- 7 Socialism as Cooperativism -- 8 Alternative: Integral Technodemocracy -- 11 Designing the Future -- 1 Macrosocial Issues and Their Inherent Values and Morals -- 2 Utopianism and Ideals without Illusions -- 3 Social Engineering: Piecemeal and Systemic -- 4 Top-Down Planning -- 5 Systemic Democratic Planning -- 6 Growth and Development -- 7 Integral and Sustainable Development -- 8 The Future of Social Studies -- Part C: Appendices -- 1 Modelling Competition: A Systemic Approach -- 2 Modelling Cooperation: A Systemic Approach -- 3 A Production Model -- 4 Humbug Mathematical Economics -- 5 Modelling Secrecy Leaks -- 6 Newcomb's Problem -- 7 A General Concept of Action -- REFERENCES -- INDEX OF NAMES -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z -- INDEX OF SUBJECTS -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Z.
Bunge contends that social science research has fallen prey to a postmodern fascination with irrationalism and relativism. He urges social scientists to re-examine the philosophy and the methodology at the base of their discipline.
9781442680036
Social sciences-Methodology. Social sciences-Philosophy.