Karl Popper and the Social Sciences
eBook - PDF

Karl Popper and the Social Sciences

  1. 157 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Karl Popper and the Social Sciences

About this book

The first systematic treatment of Karl Popper's contribution to the philosophy of the social sciences.

This is the first book-length exploration of Karl Popper's often-neglected contributions to the philosophy of social science. William A. Gorton situates Popper's ideas on social inquiry within the broader framework of his thought, including his philosophy of natural science, his ontological theories, and his political thought. Gorton places special attention on Popper's theory of situational analysis and how it aims to heighten our understanding of the social world by untangling the complex web of human interaction that produces unintended-and often unwanted-social phenomena. Situational analysis, Gorton contends, involves a significant departure from the method of the natural sciences, despite Popper's plea for the unity of scientific method. Gorton also addresses some common misconceptions concerning Popper's stance toward economics and Marxism, making the provocative claim that contemporary analytical Marxism provides the best current example of Popperian social science put into practice.

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Yes, you can access Karl Popper and the Social Sciences by William A. Gorton in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Philosophy History & Theory. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. KARL POPPER and the SOCIAL SCIENCES
  2. Contents
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Abbreviations
  5. Introduction
  6. 1. Popperian Situational Analysis
  7. 2. Metaphysics, Realism, and Situational Analysis
  8. 3. Social Laws, the Unity of Scientific Method, and Situational Analysis
  9. 4. Situational Analysis and Economic Theory
  10. 5. Popper’s Debt to Marx
  11. 6. The Shortcomings of Situational Analysis
  12. Conclusion
  13. Notes
  14. References
  15. Index