The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) [Hardcover]

Martin Hollis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1994 | Series: Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy

This new interdisciplinary textbook by Martin Hollis offers an exceptionally clear and concise introduction to the philosophy of social science. It unearths central philosophical problems underlying the standard ways of thinking about social institutions and social actions, leading the reader to reflect upon the nature of scientific method itself. Is the aim to explain the social world after the manner of the natural world, or to understand it from within? Writing in his characteristically clear and incisive prose, Martin Hollis reveals the crucial role to be played by philosophy in the study of the social sciences.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

In revealing the crucial role to be played by philosophy in the study of the social sciences, this text unearths central philosophical problems underlying the standard ways of thinking about social institutions and social actions, leading the reader to reflect upon the nature of scientific method itself.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521442648
• ISBN-13: 978-0521442640
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,239,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ontology & Epistemology Behind the Methods, April 18, 2002

By 

Adrian Prentice (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) (Paperback)

Hollis's book provides a sorely needed corrective to the common but unfortunate assumption that "method" is distinct from "theory". Through a series of examples, allegories, and histories, the author illustrates the differences in ontology (ways of being) and epistemology (ways of knowing) that inform how research is done in the social sciences. Hollis's prose succeeds in bridging the gap between the abstract and the concrete better than many expositions on the philosophy of social science. I enjoy assigning it to my research methods students to remind them of the philosophy that motivates the quantitative and qualitative methods they are studying.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive introduction to social sciences, July 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) (Paperback)

Great stuff for researchers, be they young or somewhat older. The book reveals the underlying rationale of a lot of confusion that is going around in the social sciences. By outlining the history of social sciences and concurrently looking at the basic assumptions of subsequent conflicting scientific views, Hollis enhances the cohesion and credibility of the field of social sciences. Though not easy to consume, this is an exciting book for all the investigative out there who pretend to be able to talk with authority about the philosophy of social sciences...

1 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Confusing, November 13, 2004

By 

Rik "Student" (Leiden, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Philosophy of Social Science: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) (Paperback)

This book, although quite interesting seems to be written mostly not to explain the subject to the reader, but to confuse the reader with lots of irrelevant details. The author seems to lack the ability to stick to his point, and drifts away from it more than once in most chapters. The structure of the book looks very appealing by the mixture of two questions. But as it turns out, the holistic/individual & explaining/understanding distinctions are not stricly seperated, or usefully connected.
Some comparisions made in this book (for example, the different book of Durckheim are compared in a quite messy way) are in my opinion just their because the author wanted to show off how much he has read.
Alltogether I think this book is really a waste of paper, ink and time. So I would recommend NOT to buy this book; try to look for a book by an other author when you're interesseted in this subject.