Mario Bunge, author of the monumental Treatise on Basic Philosophy, is widely renowned as a philosopher of science. In this new and ambitious work he shifts his attention to the social sciences and the social technologies. He considers a number of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, law, history, and management science. Bunge contends that social science research has fallen prey to a postmodern fascination with irrationalism and relativism. He urges social scientists to re-examine the philosophy and the methodology at the base of their discipline. Bunge calls for objective and relevant fact-finding, rigorous theorizing, and empirical testing, as well as morally sensitive and socially responsible policy design.
Author(s): Mario Bunge
Publisher: University of Toronto Pres
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 557
Tags: Social Sciences, Philosophy, Social Sciences: Research
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 10
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 16
Part A: Basic Social Science......Page 20
1 From Natural Science to Social Science......Page 23
1 Nature and Society......Page 24
2 The Natural Science/Social Science Divide......Page 29
3 The Nomothetic/Idiographic Dichotomy......Page 40
4 Biosociology and. Sociobiology......Page 52
5 Demography and Geography......Page 56
6 Social Psychology......Page 60
7 Anthropology......Page 66
8 Linguistics......Page 76
2 Sociology......Page 80
1 Agency and Structure......Page 83
2 Class and Status, Role and Norm......Page 85
3 Micro-Macro Relations......Page 91
4 Coleman's Linear System of Action......Page 98
5 Economic Imperialism......Page 102
6 Economicism Does Not Pay......Page 107
7 Economic Sociology and Socio-Economics......Page 109
8 Barbarians inside the Gates......Page 112
3 Positive Economics......Page 119
1 What Is Economics About?......Page 121
2 Economic Concepts......Page 126
3 Economic Assumptions......Page 133
4 Laws and Rules, Theories and Models......Page 142
5 Neoclassical Microeconomics: Rationality and Perfect Competition......Page 146
6 Neoclassical Microeconomics Continued: Equilibrium and Price......Page 155
7 Positive Macroeconomics......Page 160
8 Ugly Facts versus Pretty Theory......Page 166
4 Political Science......Page 174
1 Units of Analysis and Power......Page 178
2 Government and People: Autocracy to Democracy......Page 186
3 Rational-Choice Politology......Page 194
4 Public-Choice and Social-Choice Theories......Page 199
5 Explaining and Predicting Political Events......Page 207
6 Politics, Ideology, Morality......Page 216
7 Domestic Politics......Page 220
8 International Relations......Page 230
5 Culturology......Page 238
1 Idealism versus Materialism......Page 242
2 Externalism versus Internalism......Page 244
3 Sociology of Knowledge: Marx to Merton......Page 248
4 The Antiscientific Reaction......Page 253
5 Technology in Society......Page 258
6 Social Science in Society......Page 261
7 Ideology......Page 265
8 The Market Approach to Culture......Page 268
6 History......Page 276
1 Historical Objectivity, Lies, and Forgeries......Page 279
2 Materialism versus Idealism......Page 285
3 Systemism versus Individualism and Holism......Page 293
4 Law, Accident, Luck......Page 298
5 Trends: Progress, Stagnation, Decline......Page 302
6 Interpretation or Hypothesis?......Page 305
7 Historical Explanation......Page 308
8 Uses of History......Page 310
Part B: Sociotechnology......Page 316
7 Action Theory......Page 325
1 Systemic Praxiology......Page 329
2 Decision Theory......Page 334
3 Collective-Action Theory......Page 340
4 Austrian Praxiology......Page 344
5 Reasons for the Failure of Rational-Choice Action Theory......Page 347
6 Values and Norms......Page 350
7 Policy......Page 353
8 Planning......Page 367
8 Law......Page 373
1 Norm and Truth......Page 375
2 Law and Morality......Page 381
3 Legal Code and Legal Theory......Page 384
4 Legal Reasoning......Page 386
5 Private and Public......Page 388
6 Rights and Duties......Page 390
7 Crime and Punishment......Page 393
8 Law's Impotence......Page 396
9 Management Technology......Page 399
1 Strategy: Policy......Page 401
2 Tactics: Planning......Page 404
3 Management......Page 406
4 Operations Research......Page 413
5 Private and Public......Page 416
6 Resource Management......Page 418
7 Management and Politics......Page 419
8 Rationality in Action......Page 420
10 Normative Economics......Page 422
1 Normative Macroeconomics......Page 423
2 Economic Policy......Page 426
3 Economic Planning......Page 431
4 Welfare Economics......Page 436
5 Capitalism: Old and New, Pro and Con......Page 439
6 Statism: Fascist and Communist......Page 449
7 Socialism as Cooperativism......Page 450
8 Alternative: Integral Technodemocracy......Page 453
11 Designing the Future......Page 458
1 Macrosocial Issues and Their Inherent Values and Morals......Page 459
2 Utopianism and Ideals without Illusions......Page 460
3 Social Engineering: Piecemeal and Systemic......Page 461
4 Top-Down Planning......Page 463
5 Systemic Democratic Planning......Page 465
6 Growth and Development......Page 466
7 Integral and Sustainable Development......Page 467
8 The Future of Social Studies......Page 469
1 Modelling Competition: A Systemic Approach......Page 474
2 Modelling Cooperation: A Systemic Approach......Page 475
3 A Production Model......Page 477
4 Humbug Mathematical Economics......Page 478
5 Modelling Secrecy Leaks......Page 480
6 Newcomb's Problem......Page 481
7 A General Concept of Action......Page 482
REFERENCES......Page 486
B......Page 538
D......Page 539
G......Page 540
I......Page 541
L......Page 542
M......Page 543
Q......Page 544
S......Page 545
W......Page 546
Z......Page 547
B......Page 548
D......Page 549
F......Page 550
I......Page 551
L......Page 552
N......Page 553
P......Page 554
R......Page 555
T......Page 556
Z......Page 557
