Philosophy of Social Science: A Contemporary Introduction PDF
Preview Philosophy of Social Science: A Contemporary Introduction
Philosophy of Social Science A Contemporary Introduction Philosophy of Social Science: A Contemporary Introduction examines the perennial questions of philosophy by engaging with the empirical study of society. Th e book off ers a comprehensive overview of debates in the fi eld, with special attention to questions arising from new research programs in the social sciences. Th e text uses detailed examples of social scientifi c research to motivate and illustrate the philosophical discussion. Topics include the relationship of social policy to social science, interpretive research, action explanation, game theory, social scientifi c accounts of norms, joint intentionality, reductionism, causal modeling, case study research, and experimentation. Mark Risjord is Professor of Philosophy at Emory University and affi liated faculty at the University of Hradec Králové. Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy Series editor: Paul K Moser, Loyola University of Chicago Th is innovative, well-structured series is for students who have already done an introductory course in philosophy. Each book introduces a core general subject in contemporary philosophy and off ers students an accessible but substantial transition from introductory to higher-level college work in that subject. Th e series is accessible to non-specialists and each book clearly motivates and expounds the problems and positions introduced. An orien- tating chapter briefl y introduces its topic and reminds readers of any crucial material they need to have retained from a typical introductory course. Considerable attention is given to explaining the central philosophical prob- lems of a subject and the main competing solutions and arguments for those solutions. Th e primary aim is to educate students in the main problems, positions, and arguments of contemporary philosophy rather than to convince students of a single position. Ancient Philosophy Metaphysics Christopher Shields 3rd Edition Michael J. Loux Classical Philosophy Christopher Shields Philosophy of Art Noël Carroll Classical Modern Philosophy Philosophy of Biology Jeffrey Tlumak Alex Rosenberg and Daniel W. McShea Continental Philosophy Philosophy of Economics Andrew Cutrofello Julian Reiss Epistemology Philosophy of Language 3rd Edition 2nd Edition Robert Audi Willam G. Lycan Ethics Philosophy of Mathematics 2nd Edition 2nd Edition Harry J. Gensler James Robert Brown Philosophy of Mind Forthcoming: 3rd Edition John Heil Bioethics Jason Scott Robert Philosophy of Perception William Fish Free Will Michael McKenna and Philosophy of Psychology Derek Pereboom José Luis Bermudez Metaethics Philosophy of Religion Mark van Roojen Keith E. Yandell Moral Psychology Philosophy of Science Valerie Tiberius 3rd Edition Alex Rosenberg Philosophy of Literature John Gibson Philosophy of Social Science Mark Risjord Virtue Ethics Liezl van Zyl Social and Political Philosophy John Christman This page intentionally left blank Philosophy of Social Science A Contemporary Introduction Mark Risjord First published 2014 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2014 Taylor & Francis The right of Mark Risjord to be identifi ed as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Risjord, Mark W., 1960– Philosophy of social science : a contemporary introduction / by Mark Risjord. pages cm. — (Routledge contemporary introductions to philosophy) 1. Social Sciences—Philosophy. I. Title. H61.R567 2014 300.1—dc23 2013050442 ISBN: 978-0-415-89824-9 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-89825-6 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-80254-0 (ebk) Typeset in Garamond Pro and Gill Sans by Apex CoVantage, LLC Contents List of Figures xiii Acknowledgments xiv 1 Introduction 1 1.1 What is the Philosophy of Social Science? 1 The Democratic Peace 2 Azande Witchcraft 3 Freedom Riders and Free Riders 4 Philosophy in the Social Sciences 5 1.2 A Tour of the Philosophical Neighborhood 6 Normativity 7 Naturalism 8 Reductionism 10 Excelsior! 12 2 Objectivity, Values, and the Possibility of a Social Science 14 2.1 The Ideal of Value Freedom 14 The United States Census 15 Dimensions of Value Freedom 17 A Moderate Thesis of Value Freedom 19 2.2 Impartiality and Theory Choice 20 Risk and Error 20 What About Objectivity? 22 2.3 Essentially Contested Ideas 24 Value-Neutrality and Emancipatory Research 24 Objection: Values and the Logic of Discovery 26 Value Presuppositions and Implicatures 27 2.4 Chapter Summary 30 Discussion Questions 31 Further Reading 32 viii Contents 3 Theories, Interpretations, and Concepts 34 3.1 Aggression, Violence, and Video Games 35 3.2 Defi ning Theoretical Concepts 38 The Empiricist View of Concepts and Theory Structure 38 Realism, Instrumentalism, and the Problem of Construct Validity 40 3.3 Interpretivism 42 Ideal Types and Verstehen 43 Hermeneutics and Meaning 45 Thick Description and its Challenges 46 3.4 Realism and Social Concepts 48 Social Constructions 48 Realism about Social Kinds 49 Looping Effects 51 3.5 C hapter Summary 53 Discussion Questions 54 Further Reading 55 4 Interpretive Methodology 57 4.1 Evidence for Interpretation 57 Qualitative Research Methods and Their Presuppositions 57 Authority and Authenticity 60 Refl exivity 62 4.2 Rationality, Explanation, and Interpretive Charity 64 The Problem of Apparent Irrationality 64 Relativism and Rationality 66 The Principle of Charity 67 4.3 Cognition, Evolution, and Interpretation 69 Bounded and Unbounded Rationality 70 Cognitive Roots of Culture 72 Interpretation and Cognitive Explanation 74 The New Questions of Naturalism 76 4.4 C hapter Summary 77 Discussion Questions 78 Further Reading 78 5 Action and Agency 81 5.1 Explaining Action 82 Admiral Tryon and Instrumental Rationality 82 The Function of General Laws in History 86 Reasons and Causes 88 Re-enactment: V erstehen Revisited 91 5.2 The Games People Play 94 Rationality and Utility 94 Contents ix Games and Strategies 97 Equilibria 99 Nash Equilibria and the Battle of the Bismarck Sea 102 Multiple Equilibria and Coordination Problems 104 5.3 Agency 106 The Psychological Plausibility of Rational Choice Theory 106 Rational Fools? 107 Game Theory in the Laboratory 109 Instrumentalism and Structuralism 112 5.4 C hapter Summary 114 Discussion Questions 115 Further Reading 116 6 Reductionism: Structures, Agents, and Evolution 118 6.1 Explaining Revolutions 118 6.2 Social Theory and Social Ontology 122 The Individualism–Holism Debate 122 Defi nition and Theoretical Reduction 124 Supervenience 126 Methodological Localism 128 6.3 Agents and Social Explanations 129 Methodological Individualism 129 Microfoundations and Moderate Explanatory Individualism 132 Agency and Mechanistic Explanation 135 6.4 Evolutionary Explanations 137 Functions in Evolutionary Perspective 138 Selectionist Explanations of Cooperation and the Evolution of Norms 142 Consequences of Selectionism for the Social Sciences 145 6.5 C hapter Summary 147 Discussion Questions 149 Further Reading 149 7 Social Norms 152 7.1 Disenchanting the Social World 153 Is and Ought 153 Normativism 154 Good Bad Theories 155 7.2 Norms and Rational Choices 157 Convention 158 Conventionality and Normativity 160 Social Norms 163 7.3 Normativity and Practice 167 Norms and Practices 167
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