The History and Philosophy of Social Science: An Introd

The History and Philosophy of Social Science proves that it is possible to meet the most exacting scholarly standards while also managing to make the history of the social sciences enjoyable to read. Scott Gordon provides a comprehensive review of the historical development of the social sciences from their beginnings in Renaissance Italy to the present day. He examines the problems that the great thinkers have confronted in their attempts to construct systematic theories of social phenomena. At the same time, he presents an authoritative survey of the major writers in the fields of economics, sociology, and political science.

Separate chapters are devoted to particular topics of special significance such as the nature of sociality, the idea of harmonious order, the conflict between progress and perfection, the methodology of history, and the relation between biology and the social sciences. In conclusion, Gordon examines the main lines of thought that have developed in the philosophy of science since the breakdown of logical empiricism. He shows how the scientific investigation of social phenomena differs from the methodologies of the physical and biological sciences. This bold new synthesis of the different traditions in the social sciences is at once a major contribution and a superb overview.