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Philosophical Foundations of the Social Sciences

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  • Kincaid,Harold

Abstract

This 1996 book defends the prospects for a science of society. It argues that behind the diverse methods of the natural sciences lies a common core of scientific rationality that the social sciences can and sometimes do achieve. It also argues that good social science must be in part about large-scale social structures and processes and thus that methodological individualism is misguided. These theses are supported by a detailed discussion of actual social research, including theories of agrarian revolution, organizational ecology, social theories of depression, and supply-demand explanations in economics. Professor Kincaid provides a general picture of explanation and confirmation in the social sciences and discusses the nature of scientific rationality, functional explanation, optimality arguments, meaning and interpretation, the place of microfoundations in social explanation, the status of neo-classical economics, the role of idealizations and non-experimental evidence, and other specific controversies.

Suggested Citation

  • Kincaid,Harold, 1996. "Philosophical Foundations of the Social Sciences," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521558914, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:cbooks:9780521558914
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    Cited by:

    1. Raina, Rajeswari S., 2003. "Disciplines, institutions and organizations: impact assessments in context," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 185-211, November.
    2. repec:pri:cmgdev:wp0804 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Timothy M. Devinney & Jan Hohberger, 2017. "The past is prologue: Moving on from Culture’s Consequences," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(1), pages 48-62, January.
    4. David Kihangire, 2005. "The Effects Of Exchange Rate Variability On Exports: Evidence From Uganda (1988 – 2001)," International Trade 0505013, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Rick Szostak, 2008. "Classifying Heterodoxy," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 97-126, March.
    6. Łukasz Hard, 2014. "Models of Mechanisms and their Role in Building Economic Explanations," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 37.
    7. Marc Orlitzky, 2011. "Institutionalized dualism: statistical significance testing as myth and ceremony," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 47-77, September.
    8. Steven Rappaport, 1996. "Abstraction and unrealistic assumptions in economics," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 215-236.
    9. Jesus Felipe & John S.L. McCombie, 2013. "The Aggregate Production Function and the Measurement of Technical Change," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1975.
    10. Marchionni, Caterina & Reijula, Samuli, 2018. "What is mechanistic evidence, and why do we need it for evidence-based policy?," SocArXiv 4ufbm, Center for Open Science.
    11. Matthew Longshore Smith & Carolina Seward, 2009. "The Relational Ontology of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach: Incorporating Social and Individual Causes," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 213-235.
    12. Lex Donaldson, 2008. "Ethics Problems and Problems with Ethics: Toward a Pro-Management Theory," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 78(3), pages 299-311, March.
    13. Ramzi Mabsout, 2014. "Bringing Ethics Back to Welfare Economics," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 72(1), pages 1-27, March.
    14. Donald W. Katzner, 2015. "A Neoclassical Curmudgeon Looks at Heterodox Criticisms of Microeconomics," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2015(4), pages 1-63, February.
    15. Pavlína Hejduková & Lucie Kureková, 2016. "Causality As A Tool For Empirical Analysis In Economics," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 4407035, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    16. Reinhard Neck, 2021. "Methodological Individualism: Still a Useful Methodology for the Social Sciences?," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 49(4), pages 349-361, December.
    17. Tomas Hellström, 2008. "Transferability and Naturalistic Generalization: New Generalizability Concepts for Social Science or Old Wine in New Bottles?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 321-337, June.
    18. Clive Beed & Cara Beed, 1999. "Intellectual Progress and Academic Economics: Rational Choice and Game Theory," Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 163-185, December.
    19. Clive Beed & Cara Beed, 1997. "Realism and a Christian Perspective on Economics," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(3), pages 313-333.
    20. Alejandro Portes, 2008. "Migration and Social Change: Some Conceptual Reflections," Working Papers 1096, Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Migration and Development..
    21. Khan, Amna & Lindridge, Andrew & Pusaksrikit, Theeranuch, 2018. "Why some South Asian Muslims celebrate Christmas: Introducing ‘acculturation trade-offs’," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 290-299.
    22. Malcolm Williams & Luke Sloan & Charlotte Brookfield, 2017. "A Tale of Two Sociologies: Analyzing Versus Critique in UK Sociology," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 22(4), pages 132-151, December.

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