1st Edition

Rationality and the Social Sciences (RLE Social Theory) Contributions to the Philosophy and Methodology of the Social Sciences

By S.I. Benn, G.W. Mortimore Copyright 1976
    430 Pages
    by Routledge

    426 Pages
    by Routledge

    The concepts of rationality that are used by social scientists in the formation of hypotheses, models and explanations are explored in this collection of original papers by a number of distinguished philosophers and social scientists. The aim of the book is to display the variety of the concepts used, to show the different roles they play in theories of very different kinds over a wide range of disciplines, including economics, sociology, psychology, political science and anthropology, and to assess the explanatory and predictive power that a theory can draw from such concepts.

    Part 1. Rationality in Belief  1. Rationality in Belief G.W. Mortimore and J.B. Maund  2. Rationality of Belief – Intercultural Comparisons J.B. Maund  3. Social Psychology’s Rational Man R.P. Abelson  Part 2. Rationality in Action  2.1. Strong and Weak Criteria of Rational Action  4. Rational Action G.W. Mortimore  5. Arguing from Rationality Q. Gibson  6. Rational Conduct and Social Life P.S. Cohen  2.2. Technical Notions of Rational Action  7. Technical Models of Rational Choice S.I. Benn and G.W. Mortimore  8. Rational Behaviour as a Basis for Economic Theories C.A. Tisdell  9. Rationality, Colaition Formation, and International Relations O.R. Young  10. Rationality and Political Behaviour S.I. Benn  11. Can Ends Be Rational? The Methodological Implications S.I. Benn and G.W. Mortimore  Part 3. Rational Persons  12. The Development of Reason R.S. Peters  13. Psychosis and Irrationality R. Brown  Part 4. Social Rationality  14. The Rationality of Societies P.H. Partridge, S.I. Benn and G.W. Mortimore  15. Rational Social Choice G.W. Mortimore

    Biography

    S.I. Benn, G.W. Mortimore