On the Logic of the Social Sciences (Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought) - Softcover

Habermas, J�rgen

3.74

39 ratings by Goodreads

9780262581042: On the Logic of the Social Sciences (Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0262581043 ISBN 13: 9780262581042

Publisher: MIT Press, 1990

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

For two decades the German edition of this book has been a standard reference point for students of the philosophy of the social sciences in Germany. Today it still stands as a unique and masterful guide to the major problems and possibilities in this field.On the Logic of the Social Sciences foreshadowed the direction in which methodological discussions have traveled since it appeared and anticipated the problems they presently face. Habermas's statement of the principal issues is concise and elegant, and his own original resolution of them is of continuing relevance. He considers the main lines of thought pursued by epistemologists and methodologists of the social sciences, from neo-Kantianism to behaviorism, and from problems of measurement to those of interpretive logic, in a sustained and provocative argument that involves analysis and critique at every point and ends with his own sharply profiled position.Beginning with the turn of the century debates on the distinction between natural and cultural sciences, Habermas discusses the relationship between sociology and history. He takes up the problem of a general theory of social action, focusing first on the nature of "interpretive understanding" and then on the scope and limits of functionalist explanation. In the concluding sections, he draws on psychoanalysis and classical social theory to sketch the outlines of his view of sociology as a critical theory of the present. Along the way he provides a great deal of material that is useful in understanding his own work.Jurgen Habermas is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Frankfurt. On the Logic of the Social Sciences is included in the series Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought, edited by Thomas McCarthy.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

" Written in 1967 as an exercise in selfclarification, On the Logic of the Social Sciences is unmatched in its scope, insights, and impact. The point of departure for Habermas' twenty-year effort to reconstruct critical social theory, it is an indispensable aid to understanding his recent work on the theory of communicative action. The book also stands on its own as one of the best general overviews of the field, and should be required reading for students of the methodology and philosophy of the social sciences." -- James Schmidt, Boston University.

& quot; Written in 1967 as an exercise in selfclarification, On the Logic of the Social Sciences is unmatched in its scope, insights, and impact. The point of departure for Habermas' twenty-year effort to reconstruct critical social theory, it is an indispensable aid to understanding his recent work on the theory of communicative action. The book also stands on its own as one of the best general overviews of the field, and should be required reading for students of the methodology and philosophy of the social sciences.& quot; -- James Schmidt, Boston University.

"Written in 1967 as an exercise in selfclarification, On the Logic of the Social Sciences is unmatched in its scope, insights, and impact. The point of departure for Habermas' twenty-year effort to reconstruct critical social theory, it is an indispensable aid to understanding his recent work on the theory of communicative action. The book also stands on its own as one of the best general overviews of the field, and should be required reading for students of the methodology and philosophy of the social sciences."--James Schmidt, Boston University.

About the Author:

Jurgen Habermas is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Frankfurt and Professor of Philosophy at Northwestern University. He was recently awarded the 2004 Kyoto Prize for Arts and Philosophy by the Inamori Foundation. The Kyoto Prize is an international award to honor those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind. Shierry Weber Nicholsen teaches environmental philosophy and psychology in Antioch University Seattle's M.A. Program on Environment and Community and is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle. She has translated several works by Theodor Adorno and Jurgen Habermas.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.