Synopses & Reviews
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.Jürgen 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.
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. David Held, The Open University, UK
Review
A long-awaited translation. The study-already a minor 'classic' in its field -- is noteworthy for its clear conceptualization of the relation between natural and social sciences and between intentional and behavioral analysis. Contemporary readers will savor particularly Habermas's subtle discussion of types of functionalism and of phenomenological and hermeneutical approaches to social inquiry. The MIT Press The MIT Press
Review
On the Logic of the Social Sciences is a work of exceptional scholarship and world-wide reputation. It traces recent developments in the philosophy of social sciences and engages these with a sustained critique. It offers a penetrating overview of many of the key problems in the social sciences and develops, as is well known, as original resolution of these. The book is of great significance. Fred Dallmayr, Dee Professor of Government, University of Notre Dame
Synopsis
For two decades, the German edition of this classic has been a standard reference point for discussions of the social sciences.
Synopsis
In a provocative argument that ends with his own sharply profiled position, Jürgen Habermas considers the main lines of thought pursued by epistemologists and methodologists of the social sciences - from NeoKantianism to behaviorism. For two decades, the German edition of this classic has been a standard reference point for discussions of the social sciences.Jürgen Habermas is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Frankfurt.
About the Author
Jürgen 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.