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The first systematic treatment of Karl Popper's contribution to the philosophy of the social sciences.This is the first book-length exploration of Karl Popper's often-neglected contributions to the philosophy of social science. William A. Gorton situates Popper's ideas on social inquiry within the broader framework of his thought, including his philosophy of natural science, his ontological theories, and his political thought. Gorton places special attention on Popper's theory of situational analysis and how it aims to heighten our understanding of the social world by untangling the complex web of human interaction that produces unintended-and often unwanted-social phenomena. Situational analysis, Gorton contends, involves a significant departure from the method of the natural sciences, despite Popper's plea for the unity of scientific method. Gorton also addresses some common misconceptions concerning Popper's stance toward economics and Marxism, making the provocative claim that contemporary analytical Marxism provides the best current example of Popperian social science put into practice.
William A. Gorton is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Alma College, Michigan.
AcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction 1. Popperian Situational Analysis Building ModelsAgainst Psychologism and Conspiracy TheoriesMethodological CollectivismSummary 2. Metaphysics, Realism, and Situational Analysis The Vienna Circle’s PositivismVerificationism, Empiricism, and MetaphysicsPopper’s Metaphysical and Scientific RealismRealism, World 3, and Social InquirySummary 3. Social Laws, the Unity of Scientific Method, and Situational Analysis Causation, Covering Laws, and RealismThe Unity of Scientific MethodFalsification and Situational AnalysisSummary 4. Situational Analysis and Economic Theory Rationality and Economic TheorySituational Analysis and Economic TheoryExplaining Voter Turnout: Rational Choice versus Situational AnalysisUntangling Complex Patterns of InteractionSummary 5. Popper’s Debt to Marx Popper’s Critique of MarxPopper’s Debt to MarxPopper and the Analytical MarxistsSummary 6. The Shortcomings of Situational Analysis The Limited Range of Situational Analysis Irrationality and Situational AnalysisElster’s Model of RevolutionsSummary ConclusionNotesReferencesIndex
