Professor Little presents an introduction to the philosophy of social science with an emphasis on the central forms of explanation in social science: rational-intentional, causal, functional, structural, materialist, statistical and interpretive. The book is very strong on recent developments, particularly in its treatment of rational choice theory, microfoundations for social explanation, the idea of supervenience, functionalism, and current discussions of relativism.Of special interest is Professor Little’s insight that, like the philosophy of natural science, the philosophy of social science can profit from examining actual scientific examples. Throughout the book, philosophical theory is integrated with recent empirical work on both agrarian and industrial society drawn from political science, sociology, geography, anthropology, and economics.Clearly written and well structured, this text provides the logical and conceptual tools necessary for dealing with the debates at the cutting edge of contemporary philosophy of social science. It will prove indispensible for philosophers, social scientists and their students.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Daniel Little is associate professor of philosophy at Colgate University and visiting scholar at the Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.
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Daniel Little is chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He serves as professor of philosophy at UM-Dearborn and professor of sociology at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. His research interests fall within the philosophy and methodology of the social sciences, and he has a special interest in China and Southeast Asia. He writes frequently on topics at the intersection of philosophy, sociology, and globalization. He is a regular participant in the Social Science History Association and the Association for Asian Studies.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well organized survey,
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This review is from: Varieties Of Social Explanation: An Introduction To The Philosophy Of Social Science (Paperback)
The great advantage of Varieties over many other introductions to the philosophy of the social sciences is that it is organized like a traditional textbook. It is not written for speed reading, but it assumes no prior technical knowledge on the part of the reader. New concepts are properly introduced as needed. Lecturers will be pleased to borrow from its many detailed examples of the various forms of social scientific explanation. Fashion-conscious readers should beware; Little is concerned with more traditional social scientific approaches. He might be classified as an "analytical" philosopher, and he doesn't devote much space to anything smacking of postmodernism & co.
6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Varieties of Social Explanation: An introduction to the Phil,
By A Customer
This review is from: Varieties Of Social Explanation: An Introduction To The Philosophy Of Social Science (Paperback)
This is good introduction to the scientific nature of social sciences. It is not light reading and may require some time to study and understand the examples, but it gives a good foundation to understanding the logical basis for the "soft sciences". This book is full of examples for understanding the thought process necessary for thorough comprehension of social sciences. I would recommend this book to anyone intrested in better understanding the logical foundation of any type of social ananlysis. This is not a light reading book. It takes effort to understand the examples and theories presented.
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