Rules, Magic and Instrumental Reason

Berel Dov Lerner is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Western Galilee College, Israel.

• Introduction 1. Social Science and Winch's Idea of Philosophy 2. Winch on Rule-Following 3. Rules and Meaningful Behaviour 4. Explanation and Interpretation 5. Winch on the Use of Technical Concepts in the Social Sciences: The Interpretive Autonomy of Meaningful Behaviour 6. Winch and Interpretive Charity 7. Evans-Pritchard's Study of Zande Mysticism 8. Winch's Interpretation of Magic and Religion 9. Winch and Instrumental Pluralism 10. Winch and the Ethnographic Record 11. Evidence and Interpretation 12. Instrumental Action in Winch's Philosophy of the Social Sciences

'Lerner has produced a valuable guide to Winch's Wittgensteinian approach to the study of religion. Clearly written and argued, it is in fact the best book on the subject.' - Kevin Schilbrack, Wesleyan College'Lerner's overall account of Winch is insightfully critical.' - Philosophy in Review, Volume 24, Number 3, June 2004'All in all, Lerner's book offers useful criticisms of Winch's ideas and is the most methodic and comprehensive treatment available of Winch's philosophy of the social sciences.' - Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Vol. 35, No. 2