Methodological Misconceptions in the Social Sciences

In this detailed critique of scientific methodology in the social sciences, the aim is to develop a consistent approach applicable across a range of disciplines. It thus facilitates more reliable transmissibility of results between differing academic fields.

This book offers a systematic view of social analysis that will advance the communication of results between different academic disciplines. It overcomes misunderstandings that are due to the use of an unstructured variety of methodological traditions in the analysis of complex socioeconomic and political processes. The book focuses on the special features of human society: humans as subjects, non-repetitiveness and irreversibility of social actions and the peculiar relations between necessity and possibility in human action. It defines methodological criteria, procedures and rules that enable researchers to select and classify realistic hypotheses to derive general principles and basic organizational features. It then applies these criteria in critical reviews of major theories and interpretations of society and history, offering clarifications and alternative proposals with regard to crucial aspects of anthropological, political, juridical, sociological and religious thought.

Offers a thorough and detailed critique of scientific methodology in the social sciences Lines out a consistent methodological approach for the social sciences Extends social analysis to the field of ethical structures Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Expertise: The method of social sciences; social development and historical processes, sociology, politics, law, ethics and religious thought; in the past, my interest mainly concerned economics, statistics, modelling and econometric estimations.

Inhalt
Preface.- Introduction.- Part I. Theory.- Chapter 1. Preliminary Considerations on the Method of Social Thought.- Chapter 2. The Core of the Methodological Question: Procedure, Rules and Classifications.- Chapter 3. Heterogeneity of Methods in Social Thought: Weakness or Strength - Is there a Synthesis.- Chapter 4. Social Development and Historical Processes.- Chapter 5. On the Dynamics of Societies: Is there a Universal Theory?.- Part II. Some Applications.- Chapter 6. About Anthropology.- Chapter 7. Problems of Political Theory and Action.- Chapter 8. The Foundations of Law: Juridical Objectivism versus Jus Naturalism and Juridical Positivism.- Chapter 9. Some Insight on Sociological Thought: Rationality, Relativism and Social Evolution in Boudon-Weber's Cognitive Method.- Chapter 10. Further Meditations on Ethics: Values in the Light of Religious Thought and its Opponents.