Karl Popper and the Social Sciences

by William A. Gorton

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.

Genres: Philosophy

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un recuento muy significativo del pensamiento de Popper respecto a las ciencias sociales y su metodología,el autor busca explicar los origines del pensamiento de Popper particularmente sobre el Análisis Situacional y elabora sus influencias particularmente la teoría económica de la revolución marginalista con la cual tuvo contacto via Hayek y la perspectiva económica del Marxismo que al criticarlo tan fuertemente dejo una influencia metodológica en sus ideas del Análisis Situacional.

El libro resulta muy interesante y educativo para los estudiosos de las ciencias sociales, sobre todo como un complemento a "rational choice" y como una búsqueda de generalizar un método de investigación a otras áreas fuera de la ciencia económica.