PHILOSOPHIES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

PHILOSOPHIES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE brings together over sixty carefully selected extracts from seminal texts that have profoundly influenced the field of social science. This collection illuminates key debates surrounding the nature of scientific knowledge, the meaning of method in social inquiry, and the complex interplay between science and society. The book poses essential questions: What defines social science? How does it differ from the natural sciences? Drawing on readings that have helped shape critical perspectives from both classic and modern thought, this volume presents thoughtful selections from influential authors including Emile Durkheim, Georg Simmel, Max Weber, Alfred Schutz, Max Horkheimer, Jurgen Habermas, Alvin Gouldner, Karl-Otto Apel, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Anthony Giddens, Dorothy Smith, Donna Haraway, Sigmund Freud, Jacques Derrida, and Claude Levi-Strauss. The texts encapsulate diverse approaches from European and American traditions as well as viewpoints often overlooked by mainstream debates. Enhanced by comprehensive introductions for each section, this 496-page paperback serves as an indispensable resource and reference point for students and scholars alike. It is both a definitive companion for courses in the philosophy of social science and a vital guide for anyone interested in understanding how social knowledge is constructed and contested.