Synopses & Reviews
Model building in the social sciences can increasingly rely on well elaborated formal theories. At the same time inexpensive large computational capacities are now available. Both make computer-based model building and simulation possible in social science, whose central aim is in particular an understanding of social dynamics. Such social dynamics refer to public opinion formation, partner choice, strategy decisions in social dilemma situations and much more. In the context of such modelling approaches, novel problems in philosophy of science arise which must be analysed - the main aim of this book.Interest in social simulation has recently been growing rapidly world- wide, mainly as a result of the increasing availability of powerful personal computers. The field has also been greatly influenced by developments in cellular automata theory (from mathematics) and in distributed artificial intelligence which provided tools readily applicable to social simulation.This book presents a number of modelling and simulation approaches and their relations to problems in philosophy of science. It addresses sociologists and other social scientists interested in formal modelling, mathematical sociology, and computer simulation as well as computer scientists interested in social science applications, and philosophers of social science.
Book News Annotation:
This volume presents a number of modelling and simulation approaches
and their relations to problems of philosophy in science. Intended
for sociologists and other social scientists, as well as philosophers
of social science, this volume takes into account recent developments
in computer-based model building, as well as developments in cellular
automata theory (from mathematics), and in distributed artificial
intelligence, which provides tools readily applicable to social
simulation. The 15 contributions to this volume address a range of
topics including dissolving the modelling dilemma regarding epistemic
cultures in the social sciences; impossible models; a concept of
explanation for social interaction models; and computer simulations
of sustainable cooperation in social dilemmas.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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