Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science: A Multicultural Approach

This volume offers a new and distinct multicultural approach to the philosophy of social science. In providing a complete introductory overview of the nature of social inquiry, Fay explores issues inherent in the study of human beings from the perspective of cultural and social difference. Among the important topics explored are: the self and its relation to others; culture and society; rationality and intelligibility; relativism and objectivity; and the relation of history to social science. Although the book appropriates insights from hermeneutics, poststructuralism, and critical theory, in addition to the analytic philosophy of social science, it is written in a clear non–technical style. It provides the ideal text for students in the philosophy of social science, for those engaged in social science, and for those interested in multiculturalism.

Acknowledgements. Introduction: A Multicultural Approach to the Philosophy of Social Science. 1. Do You Have to be One to Know One?. 2. Do we Need Others to be Ourselves?. 3. Does our Culture or Society Make us What we Are?. 4. Do People in Different Cultures Live in Different Worlds?. 5. Must we Assume Others are Rational?. 6. Must we Comprehend Others in Their Own Terms?. 7. Is the Meaning of Others′ Behaviour What They Mean by It?. 8. Is our Understanding of Others Essentially Historical?. 9. Do we Live Stories or Just Tell Them?. 10. Can We Understand Others Objectively?. 11. Conclusion: What′s to be Learned From a Muticultural Philosophy of Social Science?. Bibliography.

Brian Fay is Professor of Philosophy at Wesleyan University, Connecticut. His publication include Social Theory and Political Practice (1975) and Critical Social Science (1987). He is Executive Editor of the Journal History and Theory.

"It is penetrating in its discussion of the issues but written in an engaging and accessible way. Highly recommended." Choice "In a textbook fashion that is accessible to undergraduate and graduate students alike, Fay offers a multicultural/dialectical approach to social inquiry that is designed to eliminate the traditional dualistic way of thinking that currently dominates the philosophy of social science. For those who are wont to explore the many questions that philosophers of social science are most interested in examining, I would definitely suggest Fay′s book. He clearly articulates and assesses many of the difficult arguments in the philosophy of social science." Philosophia, Vol 28, June 2001