In this Book
- Karl Popper and the Social Sciences
- Book
- 2006
- Published by: State University of New York Press
summary
This is the first book-length exploration of Karl Popper’s often-neglected contributions to the philosophy of social science. William A. Gorton situates Popper’s ideas on social inquiry within the broader framework of his thought, including his philosophy of natural science, his ontological theories, and his political thought. Gorton places special attention on Popper’s theory of situational analysis and how it aims to heighten our understanding of the social world by untangling the complex web of human interaction that produces unintended—and often unwanted—social phenomena. Situational analysis, Gorton contends, involves a significant departure from the method of the natural sciences, despite Popper’s plea for the unity of scientific method. Gorton also addresses some common misconceptions concerning Popper’s stance toward economics and Marxism, making the provocative claim that contemporary analytical Marxism provides the best current example of Popperian social science put into practice.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- Abbreviations
- p. xi
- Introduction
- pp. 1-4
- 1. Popperian Situational Analysis
- BUILDING MODELS
- pp. 6-10
- METHODOLOGICAL INDIVIDUALISM
- pp. 15-21
- 2. Metaphysics, Realism, and Situational Analysis
- REALISM, WORLD 3, AND SOCIAL INQUIRY
- pp. 32-40
- 3. Social Laws, the Unity of Scientific Method, and Situational Analysis
- THE UNITY OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD
- pp. 52-53
- RATIONALITY AND ECONOMIC THEORY
- pp. 62-65
- 5. Popper’s Debt to Marx
- pp. 81-94
- POPPER’S CRITIQUE OF MARX
- pp. 82-90
- POPPER’S DEBT TO MARX
- pp. 90-94
- POPPER AND THE ANALYTICAL MARXISTS
- pp. 94-98
- 6. The Shortcomings of Situational Analysis
- THE LIMITED RANGE OF SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
- pp. 100-103
- IRRATIONALITY AND SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
- pp. 103-113
- ELSTER’S MODEL OF REVOLUTIONS
- pp. 113-119
- Conclusion
- pp. 121-122
- References
- pp. 133-140
Additional Information
ISBN
9780791482216
DOI
MARC Record
OCLC
64560545
Pages
157
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No