This first, and cornerstone, text in the Traditions in Social Theory series by two highly regarded authors offers a comprehensive introduction to philosophical problems in the social sciences, encompassing traditional and contemporary perspectives. It is readily accessible, with a firm emphasis on communicating difficult philosophical ideas clearly and effectively to students from outside this discipline. The authors argue that most of the time there are no final answers to the questions raised, only better questions, and that the different positions in the philosophy of social science provide an overarching way of organising theoretical debates across the social sciences.

'Laudably clear and concise...a first rate collaboration with a seamless quality.' - Choice

'Informative, comprehensive and accessible to a wide audience: this is how Benton and Craib's introduction to the philosophy of social science compares with current manuals in the field.' - British Journal of Sociology

Preface
Introduction
Empiricism and Positivism in Science
Some Problems of Empiricism and Positivism
Science, Nature and Society: Some Alternatives to Empiricism
Interpretive Approaches 1: Instrumental Rationality
Interpretive Approaches 2: Rationality as Rule-Following: Cultures, Traditions and Hermeneutics
Interpretive Approaches 3: Critical Rationality
Critical Realism and the Social Sciences
Feminism, Knowledge and Society
Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism
Conclusion: In Defence of Philosophy
Annotated Further Reading

TED BENTON is Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex. He is the author of many books, including Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies, The Rise and Fall of Structural Marxism and Natural Relations: Ecology, Animal Rights and Social Justice.

IAN CRAIB is Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex. He is the author of numerous books, including Modern Social Theory: From Parsons to Habermas and Classical Social Theory.